Objectives. We investigated whether depressive symptoms and antidepressant use are associated with biomarkers for glucose dysregulation and inflammation, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference.
Methods. Postmenopausal women were recruited into the Women’s Health Initiative from 1993 to 1998, and data were collected at regular intervals through 2005. We used multiple linear regression models to examine whether depressive symptoms and antidepressant use are associated with BMI, waist circumference, and biomarkers.
Results. Analysis of data from 71 809 women who completed all relevant baseline and year 3 assessments showed that both elevated depressive symptoms and antidepressant use were significantly associated with higher BMI and waist circumference. Among 1950 women, elevated depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased insulin levels and measures of insulin resistance. Analyses of baseline data from 2242 women showed that both elevated depressive symptoms and antidepressant use were associated with higher C-reactive protein levels.
Conclusions. Monitoring body habitus and other biomarkers among women with elevated depression symptoms or taking antidepressant medication may be prudent to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Yunsheng Ma, Sherry L. Pagoto, Kristin L. Schneider, Annie L. Culver, Barbara C. Olendzki, Deidre M. Sepavich, and Judith K. Ockene are with the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Raji Balasubramanian and Martha Zorn are with the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst. James R. Hébert is with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia. Lawrence S. Phillips is with the Division of Endocrinology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Joseph S. Goveas is with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. James Beck is with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Jordan W. Smoller is with the Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. Lisa Uebelacker is with the Psychosocial Research Program, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI. Simin Liu is with the Department of Epidemiology and Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI.
