Seasonal affective disorder significantly associated with lower cholesterol levels

This study was published in the European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 2007 Jun;257(4):197-202

 

Study title and author:

Serum lipid levels in seasonal affective disorder

Pjrek E, Winkler D, Abramson DW, Konstantinidis A, Stastny J, Willeit M, Praschak-Rieder N, Kasper S.

Dept. of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. edda.pjrek@meduniwien.ac.at

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17149538/

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of cholesterol levels with seasonal affective disorder. The study included 39 seasonal affective disorder patients who were compared with 40 controls.

The study found that seasonal affective disorder patients had significantly lower total cholesterol levels (12% lower) than control subjects.

Pjrek concluded: "The results of this study support the idea that low cholesterol levels may be of pathogenetic importance in seasonal affective disorder."

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