# Prevalence and clinical correlates of abnormal lipid metabolism in older Chinese patients with first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder

## TL;DR

This study found that most older Chinese patients with first-time major depression also have abnormal lipid metabolism, which is linked to more severe symptoms and longer illness duration.

## Contribution

The study identifies clinical correlates of abnormal lipid metabolism in older first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder patients.

## Key findings

- 86.1% of older MDD patients had comorbid abnormal lipid metabolism.
- ALM was associated with higher CGI-S, HAMD scores, TSH, and glucose levels.
- Duration of illness and CGI-S score were significant predictors of ALM.

## Abstract

Older major depressive disorder (MDD) patients have more complex clinical symptoms and higher abnormal lipid metabolism (ALM) rates. This study aimed to compare clinical differences between those with and without ALM in a sample of older first-episode drug naïve (FEDN) patients.

We recruited 266 older MDD patients. Socio-demographic variables, clinical data, and lipid parameters were obtained. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-P) were conducted to evaluate patients’ depression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms, respectively.

In this study, we found that the prevalence of comorbid ALM was 86.1% in older MDD patients. Compared with the non-abnormal lipid metabolism (NALM) group, the ALM group had a higher duration of illness, higher clinical global impression of severity scale (CGI-S) and HAMD scores, higher thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and glucose levels. Logistic regression analysis indicated that duration of illness (OR = 1.11, P = 0.023, 95%CI = 1.015–1.216) and CGI-S score (OR = 2.28, P = 0.014, 95%CI = 1.18–4.39) were associated with ALM in older MDD patients.

The importance of regular lipid assessment in older MDD patients needs to be taken into account.