Depression/anxiety and metabolic syndrome: association between minor mental disorders and metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of metabolic, anthropometric and homodynamic modifications, including intolerance to glucose, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Either isolated or mainly combined, these factors increase the risk of atherothrombotic disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The psychological and emotional aspects are also important determining factor of diseases, including the cardiovascular ones, because of their risk failures. Studies with depression, anxiety and MS are still rare in literature and present controversial results. In order to contribute to this gap, this study tested the association between depression/anxiety and MS in a cross-sectional study encompassing adult men and women. MS was defined by the criteria of the International Federation of Diabetes, being characterized in the presence of abdominal obesity (≥84 cm of waist circumference for women and ≥ 99 cm of waist circumference for men), besides two of the following criteria: hypertension (≥ 130/85 mmHg), hyperglycemia (≥ 100 mg/dl), hypertriglyceridemia (≥150 mg/dl) and hypoalphalipoproteinemia (HDL cholesterol less than 40 mg/dl for women and less than 50 for men). Depression/anxiety was evaluated by the combination of the variables, employing the sub-scale (PSAD) of 12 depression and anxiety items of the Questionnaire of Psychiatric Morbidity in Adults (QPMA). All the items referred to the current situation, as well as to the one of the last 12 months. The state of anxiety was defined for the ones who presented a score higher or the same as 18 in the PSAD/QPMA and that referred to at least one specific symptom of anxiety. The state of depression was defined for the ones who presented a score the same or higher than 18 of the PSAD/QMPA and who related at least one specific symptom of depression. The final sample was of 1333 adults. Amongst women, 22.5% presented anxiety and/or depression, while for men these values were of 9.1% (p= 0.000). In the logistic regression, the adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) for depression/anxiety and MS for women was 0.95 (CI 95% 0.64-1.38). For men, the adjusted prevalence ratio was 2.35 (CI 95% 1.05-3.77) with statistical significance. For both genders, the confounding factors were age and marital situation, especially for black/mixed blood men and the ones who lead a sedentary life. This study highlights the association between depression/anxiety for men and presents a new confounding factor referring to mixed blood and black men. Further studies will incorporate this form of evaluating minor mental disorders.