Role of Adiposity-Driven Inflammation in Depressive Morbidity

Abstract

Depression and metabolic disorders, including overweight and obesity, appear tightly interrelated. The prevalence of these conditions is concurrently growing worldwide, and both depression and overweight/obesity represent substantial risk factors for multiple medical complications. Moreover, there is now multiple evidence for a bidirectional relationship between depression and increased adiposity, with overweight/obesity being associated with an increased prevalence of depression, and in turn, depression augmenting the risk of weight gain and obesity. Although the reasons for this intricate link between depression and increased adiposity remain unclear, converging clinical and preclinical evidence points to a critical role for inflammatory processes and related alterations of brain functions. In support of this notion, increased adiposity leads to a chronic low-grade activation of inflammatory processes, which have been shown elsewhere to have a potent role in the pathophysiology of depression. It is therefore highly possible that adiposity-driven inflammation contributes to the development of depressive disorders and their growing prevalence worldwide. This review will present recent evidence in support of this hypothesis and will discuss the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. Altogether, findings presented here should help to better understand the mechanisms linking adiposity to depression and facilitate the identification of new preventive and/or therapeutic strategies.

Associations of demographic and clinical factors with depression over 2.5-years in an international prospective cohort of people living with MS

“…Overweight/obese BMI was significantly associated with increased risk of newly positive depression-screen; however, these associations became non-significant on adjustment. This suggests that despite known inflammatory effects of adiposity (Capuron et al, 2017), its impact on depression was not independent of clinical factors. Comorbidity number showed a dose-dependent association with increased risk of newly positive depression-screen.…”

Obesity and Psychiatric Disorders in a Sample of Obese Candidates for Bariatric Surgery in Campania Region

“…In our sample, the mean BDI-II score is 25,4 which points out the presence of depression. On the other hand, metabolic syndrome and the increase of adiposity which is typical in obese patients, determines the development of inflammatory processes and the consequent alteration of brain function [61][62][63]. Obesity also occurs as a consequence of the high caloric intake determined by maladaptive eating behaviors, such as in our sample binge and grazing [48,64,65].The association with grazing could be explained by the disorder of mood and anxiety that characterizes this behavior [7].…”

The Immunology of Behavior—Exploring the Role of the Immune System in Brain Health and Illness

“…Capuron et al (2017) review converging clinical and preclinical evidence for a bi-directional relationship between depression and adiposity, the immunological and metabolic mechanisms of which may provide identification of preventive and/or therapeutic strategies. Sleep disturbances including insomnia are another risk factor that may independently contribute to inflammatory disorders and other medical illnesses as well as neuropsychiatric disorders including depression.…”