High levels of sugar and triglycerides in the blood may be related to a increased risk of anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open earlier this month.
To carry out the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 211,000 participants. They found that higher levels of sugar and triglycerides, a type of fat, in the blood were associated with an increased risk of mental disorders 20 years before psychiatric diagnosis.
On the other hand, research has shown that those who had high levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL) in their blood have a lower risk of developing psychiatric illnesses, such as depression and anxiety.
How was the study carried out?
The researchers analyzed data from 211,200 participants of the cohort Swedish Apolipoprotein-Related Mortality Risk (AMORIS), who underwent occupational health examinations between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1996, mainly in the Stockholm region, Sweden. The current analysis was carried out between 2022 and 2023.
Participants did not have any mental disorders at the start of the study and had at least one measurement of the metabolic biomarkers that the authors of the current study were looking at. The average age of participants at the first blood draw was 42 years.
The researchers looked at blood sugar levels and a series of biomarkers that measure fat-related components, including total cholesterol, “bad” cholesterol (LDL), “good” cholesterol and triglycerides.
The research followed participants for an average of 21 years, observing the development of anxiety, depression and stress-related disorders such as acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The analysis included covariates such as socioeconomic status, country of birth, age and fasting status at the time of blood measurement, in addition to gender.
During the study period, 16,256 participants were diagnosed with depression , anxiety or stress-related disorder . The average age at diagnosis was 60.5 years. Around 3,000 participants were diagnosed with depression and anxiety at the same time.
According to the study, higher blood sugar and triglyceride levels were associated with a higher risk for all three mental disorders while high levels of “good” cholesterol were associated with a decrease in this risk.
The researchers also found that those with anxiety, depression or stress-related disorders had elevated levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and blood sugar during the 20 years before their psychiatric diagnosis.
Despite the discoveries, the study has limitations , as having been carried out in a specific population, which means that the results may not be generalizable to other populations. Future studies are needed to confirm the findings of this research.
Source: CNN Brasil
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