OBJECTIVE Poorer mental health in adulthood is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and reduced life expectancy. However, little is known of the molecular pathways underpinning this relationship and how early in life adverse metabolite profiles relate to self-reported variation in mental health. We examined cross-sectional associations between mental health and serum metabolites indicative of cardiovascular health, in large Australian population-based cohorts at two stages of the life-course. METHODS We characterised cross-sectional serum nuclear magnetic resonance metabolite profiles of positively and negatively framed mental health in a large population-based sample of Australian 11- to 12-year-olds (n = 1172; 51% girls) and mid-life adults (n = 1322; mean age 45 years; 87% women). We examined multiple standard self-report mental health scales, spanning psychosocial health, general well-being, life satisfaction, and health-related quality of life. Linear regression was used to investigate the cross-sectional association between mental health and each metabolite (n = 73) in children and adults separately, unadjusted and adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic position and body mass index. RESULTS Better child and adult mental health were associated with lower levels of the inflammatory marker glycoprotein acetyls, and a favourable, less atherogenic lipid/lipoprotein profile. Patterns of association in children were generally weaker than in adults. Associations were generally modest and partially attenuated when adjusted for body mass index. CONCLUSIONS In general, metabolite profiles associated with better child and adult mental health closely aligned with those predictive of better cardiovascular health in adults. Our findings support previous evidence for the likely bidirectional relationship between mental health and cardiovascular disease risk, by extending this evidence base to the molecular level and in children.

中文翻译：

---

11 至 12 岁人群和中年成年人心理健康的横断面代谢特征：澳大利亚儿童的纵向研究。

目标 成年期较差的心理健康与心血管疾病风险增加和预期寿命缩短有关。然而，人们对支持这种关系的分子途径以及生命早期不良代谢物谱与自我报告的心理健康变化之间的关系知之甚少。我们在澳大利亚基于人群的大型队列中，在生命历程的两个阶段检查了心理健康与指示心血管健康的血清代谢物之间的横断面关联。方法 我们对澳大利亚 11 至 12 岁儿童（n = 1172；51% 女孩）和中年成年人的大型人群样本中正面和负面心理健康的横断面血清核磁共振代谢物特征进行了表征（n = 1322；平均年龄 45 岁；87% 是女性）。我们检查了多个标准的自我报告心理健康量表，涵盖社会心理健康、总体幸福感、生活满意度和与健康相关的生活质量。线性回归用于分别调查儿童和成人的心理健康与每种代谢物（n = 73）之间的横断面关联，未经调整并根据年龄、性别、社会经济地位和体重指数进行调整。结果 更好的儿童和成人心理健康与较低水平的炎症标志物糖蛋白乙酰以及有利的、较少致动脉粥样硬化的脂质/脂蛋白谱相关。儿童的联想模式通常比成人弱。当根据体重指数进行调整时，相关性通常是适度的，并且部分减弱。结论 一般来说，与更好的儿童和成人心理健康相关的代谢物谱与预测成人心血管健康的代谢物谱密切相关。我们的研究结果通过将这一证据基础扩展到分子水平和儿童，支持了先前关于心理健康和心血管疾病风险之间可能存在双向关系的证据。