ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To correlate affective disorder with the body mass index [BMI] in reproductive and menopausal age women
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study
SETTING: Consultant Psychiatric Clinic DURATION: From 1[st] March 2012 to 30[th] November 2014
METHOD: Women visiting the psychiatric Consultation Clinic were grouped as reproductive and menopausal aged group in relation to their diagnosis as depressed or bipolar affective disorders as per ICD-10 criteria. Their BMI calculated by weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters square [kg/m[2]
RESULTS: Total 224 consecutive women with prior written and oral consent were included in this study. It was found that menopausal women had greater BMI values as compared to the women in reproductive age. Similarly in the subcategories of BMI classified as underweight, normal, overweight and obese, the menopausal group significantly correlated with BMI having higher values. The BMI did not correlate with the occurrence of affective disorders, be it depression or bipolar disorder, even in the subcategories
CONCLUSION: Thus, it can be concluded that owing to the biochemical and neurochemical impact, BMI may affect the mental status of women. Further on present results can be helpful in the treatment of affective disorder patients, emphasizing on nutrition and exercise
ABSTRACT
It is well documented that depression increases the risk of cardiovascular disease [CVD]. Women of age 55 and younger with depression are more likely to have CVD. The present study aims to investigate CVD risk in depressed women of reproductive age [RA] and menopausal age [MA]. Adult women of RA and MA were divided in to two groups; healthy and depressed. Women were screened for depression [ICD-10 criteria] at outpatients department of local psychiatric hospital. Fasting serum cortisol, estradiol and lipid profile levels were determined. Data was analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by Newman's Keuls q-test. Total cholesterol [TC], low-density lipoproteins [LDL] and triglycerides [TGs] were raised in MA women however high density lipoprotein [HDL] and estradiol were lower as compared to RA women. Depressed RA women showed increased TC, LDL and HDL but decreased estradiol as compared to healthy women of similar age group. MA depressed women showed increased TC and LDL but decreased HDL and estradiol as compared to healthy controls. We found that MA depressed women had low HDL and estradiol as compared to RA depressed women. Circulating cortisol levels were increased in both depressed RA and MA women compared to respective healthy controls. Low HDL/LDL ratio was found in both healthy and depressed MA women when compared with respective RA women. A significant negative correlation of estradiol and cortisol was found in depressed RA women. It is concluded that low HDL/LDL ratio and hypercortisolemia in both healthy and depressed MA women make them more vulnerable to CVD