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Croatian Medical Journal, Vol. 55 No. 5, 2014.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2014.55.520

Association between total serum cholesterol and depression, aggression, and suicidal ideations in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a crosssectional study

Maja Vilibić ; Department of Biological Psychiatry and Psychogeriatrics, Vrapče University Psychiatric Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Vlado Jukić ; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Vrapče University Psychiatric Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirna Pandžić-Sakoman ; Department of Social Psychiatry, Vrapče University Psychiatric Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Petar Bilić ; Department for Diagnostic and Intensive Treatment, Vrapče University Psychiatric Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Milan Milošević ; Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

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Abstract

Aim To investigate the relationship between total serum
cholesterol and levels of depression, aggression, and suicidal
ideations in war veterans with posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) without psychiatric comorbidity.
Methods A total of 203 male PTSD outpatients were assessed
for the presence of depression, aggression, and
suicidality using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating
Scale (HAM-D17), Corrigan Agitated Behavior Scale (CABS),
and Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI), respectively, followed
by plasma lipid parameters determination (total cholesterol,
high density lipoprotein [HDL]-cholesterol, low density
lipoprotein [LDL]-cholesterol, and triglycerides). PTSD severity
was assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD
Scale for DSM-IV, Current and Lifetime Diagnostic Version
(CAPS-DX) and the Clinical Global Impressions of Severity
Scale (CGI-S), before which Mini-International Neuropsychiatric
Interview (MINI) was administered to exclude psychiatric
comorbidity and premorbidity.
Results After adjustments for PTSD severity, age, body
mass index, marital status, educational level, employment
status, use of particular antidepressants, and other lipid
parameters (LDL- and HDL- cholesterol and triglycerides),
higher total cholesterol was significantly associated with
lower odds for having higher suicidal ideation (SSI≥20)
(odds ratio [OR] 0.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-
0.23], clinically significant aggression (CABS≥22) (OR 0.28;
95% CI 0.14-0.59), and at least moderate depressive symptoms
(HAM-D17≥17) (OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.08-0.48). Association
of total cholesterol and HAM-D17 scores was significantly
moderated by the severity of PTSD symptoms (P < 0.001).
Conclusion Our results indicate that higher total serum
cholesterol is associated with lower scores on HAM-D17,
CABS, and SSI in patients with chronic PTSD.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

135108

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/135108

Publication date:

15.10.2014.

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