Short-term and long-term effects of major depressive disorder subtypes on obesity markers and impact of sex on these associations

Clémentine Ottino; Marie-Pierre F Strippoli; Mehdi Gholam; Aurélie M Lasserre; Caroline L Vandeleur; Peter Vollenweider; Pedro Marques-Vidal; Carole Clair; Martin Preisig

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.057

Short-term and long-term effects of major depressive disorder subtypes on obesity markers and impact of sex on these associations

J Affect Disord. 2022 Jan 15:297:570-578. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.057. Epub 2021 Oct 27.

Authors

Clémentine Ottino¹, Marie-Pierre F Strippoli², Mehdi Gholam², Aurélie M Lasserre³, Caroline L Vandeleur², Peter Vollenweider⁴, Pedro Marques-Vidal⁴, Carole Clair⁵, Martin Preisig²

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Av. Edouard-Rod 28, Lausanne CH-1007, Switzerland. Electronic address: clementine.ottino@gmail.com.
² Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Addiction Medicine, Department of psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

PMID: 34718038
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.057

Abstract

Background: Only a few studies with conflicting results have examined the effects of sex on the prospective association between depression and subsequent obesity.

Objective: (1) To simultaneously assess the associations of the subtypes (atypical, melancholic, unspecified) of major depressive disorder (MDD) measured at baseline and subtypes of major depressive episodes (MDE) that emerged during a 5.5-year follow-up with changes in obesity markers (body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass) during this follow-up, and (2) to test the effect of sex on these associations.

Methods: Data from CoLaus|PsyCoLaus, a population-based cohort study including 2702 participants (50.1% women, mean age 49.6 years). Criteria for mental disorders were elicited using semi-structured interviews.

Results: History of atypical MDD at baseline was associated with a steeper increase in BMI and waist circumference, whereas atypical MDE during follow-up was associated with a steeper increase in the three studied obesity markers. Melancholic MDD at baseline was associated with a steeper increase in BMI. Several significant interactions with sex were found indicating higher increase in fat mass in men than in women following melancholic MDD reported at baseline, higher decrease in BMI and fat mass in women than in men related to melancholic MDE emerging during follow-up and higher increase in waist circumference in men than in women following unspecified MDD reported at baseline.

Limitations: Urban sample which may not be representative for the whole population.

Conclusions: Our results further advocate for the specific need of a thorough monitoring of obesity markers in patients with atypical MDD and suggest less favorable obesity marker changes mainly related to melancholic MDE in men.

Keywords: Longitudinal study; Major depressive disorder; Metabolic factors; Obesity; Sex differences; Subtypes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Body Mass Index
Cohort Studies
Depressive Disorder, Major* / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity / epidemiology
Waist Circumference