The Association Between Depression, Impulsive Behaviors and Suicidal Ideation with Serum Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Level in Patients with Morbid Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to compare the severity of depression, impulsive behaviors and suicidal ideation in patients with obesity with Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) below 100 or above 100 mg/dl.

This was a cross-sectional study. The study population included patients with obesity referred to the obesity clinic of Rasool-e-Akram Hospital affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Patients were divided into two groups with LDL below and above 100 mg/dl. The Beck scale for suicidal ideation and Depression and the Barratt   Impulsiveness Scale questionnaires were filled. Finally, the score of questionnaires and demographic variables were compared between the two groups. P-values below 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. 

300 patients entered the study. There was a statistically significant difference regarding the severity of depression betweeen the two groups, as in patients with LDL over 100 mg/dl, depression was more severe (p-value = 0.02). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference regarding the impulsivity score and its subgroups or the suicidal ideation between the two groups (higher in patients with LDL) above 100 mg/dl, p-values <0.05). 

Elevated serum LDL levels could be associated with psychological factors such as depression or suicidal ideation and motor, cognition and unplanned impulsivity in patients with morbid obesity. This might be justified by an increase in BMI. Further clinical trials are required to assess these findings.