Cardiometabolic disease risk among siblings of patients with major depressive disorder

Appetite hormone dysregulation, body mass index, and emotional dysregulation in nonobese adolescents with first-episode schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional association study

BACKGROUND

Evidence has suggested that emotional dysregulation is a transdiagnostic feature in schizophrenia and major affective disorders. However, the relationship between emotional dysregulation and appetite hormone disturbance remains unknown in nonobese adolescents with first-episode schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder.

METHODS

In total, 22 adolescents with schizophrenia; 31 with bipolar disorder; 33 with major depressive disorder; and 41 healthy age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)/BMI percentile-matched controls were enrolled for assessing levels of appetite hormones, namely leptin, ghrelin, insulin, and adiponectin. Emotional regulation symptoms were measured using the parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile.

RESULTS

Adolescents with first-episode schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder exhibited greater emotional dysregulation symptoms than the control group (P = .037). Adolescents with bipolar disorder demonstrated higher log-transformed levels of insulin (P = .029) and lower log-transformed levels of leptin (P = .018) compared with the control group. BMI (P < .05) and log-transformed ghrelin levels (P = .028) were positively correlated with emotional dysregulation symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Emotional dysregulation and appetite hormone disturbance may occur in the early stage of severe mental disorders. Further studies are required to clarify the unidirectional or bidirectional association of emotional dysregulation with BMI/BMI percentile and appetite hormones among patients with severe mental disorder.

Cardiovascular disease risk in people with severe mental disorders: an update and call for action

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of premature death in people with severe mental disorders (SMDs). This review provides an update on the level of CVD mortality and morbidity, as well as the socioeconomic, psychosocial and genetic factors associated with the comorbidity, and offer directions for improved interventions to reduce CVD in SMDs.

RECENT FINDINGS

The level of CVD mortality and morbidity has sustained high in people with SMDs during the past decades, but the causal mechanism must be further elucidated. Psychosocial and socioeconomic challenges are frequent in SMDs as well as in CVD. Further, recent studies have revealed genetic variants jointly associated with SMDs, CVD risk and social factors. These findings highlight the need for more targeted interventions, prediction tools and psychosocial approaches to comorbid CVD in SMDs.

SUMMARY

The level of CVD comorbidity remains high in SMDs, indicating that most people with SMDs have not benefitted from recent medical advances. A complex interplay between genetic and social vulnerability to CVD, which differs across subgroups of patients, seems to be involved. Further research is required to meet the urgent need for earlier, more efficient intervention approaches and preventive strategies for comorbid CVD in SMD.