Effect of antidepressant therapy on blood glucose and blood lipid in patients with unipolar depression / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study investigated the occurrence and possible causes of metabolic abnormalities in patients with unipolar depression. Methods: We recruited 103 hospitalized patients with unipolar depression and 100 healthy controls. The patient group was treated with antidepressants for 3 weeks. Metabolic indicators (fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein) were measured before and after treatment. Results: Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein were significantly higher in patients with unipolar depression than in healthy controls (P0.05). After treatment with antidepressants, serum fasting blood glucose level was significantly lower than the baseline value (P<0.05). Fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol were significantly higher in patients with recurrent unipolar depression than in the healthy controls (P=0.049, P=0.031). The patients aged above 30 years had significantly higher fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol levels than those aged 30 or younger (P=0.001, P=0.016). Fasting blood glucose level was positively correlated with the number of episodes, and a regression equation could be established as Yfasting blood glucose=0.26xincidence times +4.01. Conclusion: Repeated episodes of depression increase the risk of metabolic problems. Antidepressant treatment helps improve fasting blood glucose. The risk of unilateral depression metabolism may be related to the recurrent disease and has little to do with drug treatment.