Fat compartments in patients with depression: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Introduction Depressive disorders are a common illness worldwide. Major depression is known as a significant predictor of the metabolic syndrome. However, the effects of depression on adipose tissue compartments are controversial. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the state of research on the relationship between patients with depression and adipose tissue compartments as compared to nondepressed individuals. Methods The PubMed database was searched for human studies that measured adipose tissue compartments such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and/or organ‐specific adipose tissue measurements using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan and reported the means and a measure of variance separately for depressed individuals and healthy controls. Twelve articles were identified, including a total of 1,141 depressed and 2,545 nondepressed individuals. Results Major depressive disorder and self‐reported depressive symptoms were associated with elevated visceral adipose tissue and elevated subcutaneous adipose tissue. Subanalyses for gender, age, method of adipose tissue measurement, and method of depression assessment showed elevated visceral adipose in depressed individuals. The results could be replicated when focussing on studies controlling for body mass index (BMI). Regarding other adipose tissue compartments, meta‐analysis could not be carried out due to lack of studies. Conclusions Depression is associated with enlarged visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Further, especially longitudinal, research is needed to identify the mechanism through which depressive disorders contribute to visceral adiposity.

Bioimpedance Body Measures and Serum Lipid Levels in Masculine Depression

“…The findings of higher body fat in both patient groups (vs. healthy controls) widen the results of our former research, which demonstrated that higher body fat mass and lower body muscle mass correlated significantly with stronger depression severity ( 34 ). It also agrees with former studies showing elevated body fat to associate with depressive symptoms ( 26 , 35 ).…”

“…Accordingly, the antidepressant effect of adjunctive treatment with statins is well-known ( 24 ). Enlarged visceral adipose tissue is associated with dyslipidemia [characterized by hypertriglyceridemia, high LDL, and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels] ( 25 ) and common depression symptoms ( 26 ). Sedentary behavior and elevated triglycerides are associated with higher depression risk ( 27 ).…”

Depression Associated with Reduced Heart Rate Variability Predicts Outcome in Adult Congenital Heart Disease

“…MDD is linked to several comorbidities potentially associated with adverse cardiovascular outcome. This includes the dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis [38], ectopic fat compartments [39] and life style changes (particularly low physical activity, increased BMI and increased smoking behaviour) [40,41]. In particular, persisting MDD decreases adherence, contributing to an increased mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome, thereby pointing to the importance of identifying MDD in the context of cardiovascular disorders [42].…”

Adipose Tissue Compartments, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Risk in the Context of Depression

“…Overall, two recent meta-analyses concluded that MDD as well as self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with enlarged VAT compartments. This association appears independent of sex, age, and method of VAT content assessment (i.e., MRI or CT) as well as method of depression assessment ( 97 , 98 ). Additionally, the association of VAT with depression remained significant when only studies controlling for BMI were taken into account ( 98 ).…”