This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0891988709335793v1 22/4/215    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Laudisio, A. Articles by Zuccalà, G. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Laudisio, A. Articles by Zuccalà, G. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Depressive Symptoms and Metabolic Syndrome: Selective Association in Older Women

Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Catholic University of Medicine, Rome, Italy, postalice{at}tiscali.it

Emanuele Marzetti, MD

Department of Aging and Geriatrics, Division of Biology of Aging, Institute on Aging, Biochemistry of Aging Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Francesco Pagano, MD

Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Catholic University of Medicine, Rome, Italy

Gino Pozzi, MD

Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Catholic University of Medicine, Rome, Italy

Roberto Bernabei, MD

Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Catholic University of Medicine, Rome, Italy

Giuseppe Zuccalà, MDa

Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Catholic University of Medicine, Rome, Italy

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is being increasingly found in older populations. Depressive symptoms are prevalent in elderly populations, and they are associated with adverse outcomes, chiefly cardiovascular. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the 30-item geriatric depression scale (GDS) score with MetS, as defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) criteria, in all 353 participants aged 75+ years living in Tuscania (Italy). Metabolic syndrome was associated with the GDS score in a multivariable linear regression analysis in women (β s= 2.14, 95% CI = 0.14 to 4.14; P = .036), but not in men (β = —.84, 95% CI = —3.17 to 1.49; P = .476), after adjusting. Analysis of the interaction term confirmed (P = .022) that such an association differed according to sex. Metabolic syndrome is independently associated with depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older women. Older women with depression should be prompted to undergo screening for MetS. Conversely, elderly women with MetS should be assessed for affective disorders.

Key Words: depressive symptoms • metabolic syndrome • elderly populations • epidemiology

This version was published on December 1, 2009

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, Vol. 22, No. 4, 215-222 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0891988709335793


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?