Relationships between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and depressive symptoms: Findings of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

Although serum cholesterol has been associated with late-life depression, few studies on the associations between lipids and depression among middle-aged adults have been performed. This study examined associations between serum lipid levels and depressive symptoms in Korean middle-aged adults. We used data from 8207 participants aged 40-64 years who completed a questionnaire about their experience of depressive symptoms over the last year as part of the 2010-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Higher HDL-C levels were significantly associated with an elevated risk of depressive symptoms (OR=1.32; 95% CI=1.09-1.60) after adjusting for other covariates. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.