Associations of metabolic syndrome with elevated liver enzymes and C-reactive protein in drug-naive patients with depressive disorders

Abstract

Background and Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is found to be more prevalent in patients with depression. As there is a lack of Indian data, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence of MS and its association with liver enzymes and C-reactive protein (CRP) in drug-naive patients with depressive disorders. Methods: Prevalence of MS was assessed in 170 patients with depressive disorders and thirty healthy controls using Modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel-III criteria. Liver enzymes and CRP were also assessed for patient group. Results: MS prevalence was 25.9% in patients with depression, which was higher than the healthy controls (17.3%). Lower HDL level was the most common abnormality in depression group. Compared to healthy controls, significantly greater proportion of patients with depression had abnormal fasting blood sugar and HDL levels. Besides MS, another 61% fulfilled one or two criteria of MS. Significant predictors of MS were age, duration of psychiatric illness, body mass index, obesity, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and CRP levels. Conclusions: One-fourth of the depressed patients had MS and another three-fifth of the patients had one or two metabolic abnormalities, and these were associated with greater GGT and CRP levels. Patients with depression should be regularly evaluated and timely treated for cardiovascular risk factors.