TOPLINE:
National survey data reveal an association between higher serum oleic acid levels and depression in adults, new research shows.
METHODOLOGY:
- Oleic acid is the most abundant fatty acid in plasma and has been associated with multiple neurologic diseases. However, the relationship between oleic acid and depression is unclear.
- This cross-sectional analyzed data on 4459 adults from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
- Multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for demographics, health and lifestyle factors quantified the association between oleic acid levels and depression. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) with depression defined as a score ≥ 10.
TAKEAWAY:
- Serum oleic acid levels were positively associated with depression before and after multivariable adjustment.
- After adjusting for all covariates, for every 1 mmol/L increase in serum oleic acid levels, the prevalence of depression increased by 40% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.03-1.90).
- Adults in the top quartile of oleic acid (≥ 2.51 mmol/L) had a greater than twofold higher likelihood of depression (aOR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.04-4.73) compared with peers in the lowest quartile (≤ 1.54 mmol/L).
IN PRACTICE:
"A better understanding of the role of oleic acid in depression may lead to new preventive and therapeutic methods. Thus, carefully designed prospective studies are necessary to explore the positive effects of changing serum oleic acid levels through diet, medicine, or other measures on depression," the authors write.
SOURCE:
The study, with first author Jiahui Yin of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Jinan, China, was published online on November 16, 2023 in BMC Psychiatry.
LIMITATIONS:
The cross-sectional study can't prove causality. The findings may not apply to clinically diagnosed major depressive disorder.
DISCLOSURES:
The study had no specific funding. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
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