Depression linked to visceral fat accumulation in older persons
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Patients with depression are prone to develop excess visceral fat accretion and the associated disturbances found in the metabolic syndrome. This large population-based sample including 2088 well-functioning white and black older subjects aimed to investigate whether depressive symptoms were predictors of an increase in abdominal obesity. Baseline depression was defined as a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression score ≥16. After adjusting for sociodemographics, lifestyle, diseases, and overall obesity, baseline depression was associated with a 5-year increase in sagittal diameter and visceral fat. In conclusion, depressive symptoms appear to result in an increase in abdominal obesity independent of baseline total obesity, suggesting that specific pathophysiological mechanisms may link depression with incident visceral fat accumulation.
Abstract
