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The impact of metabolic syndrome on mental health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms

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Abstract

Purpose

Results examining associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression, as well as on quality of life (QoL), are inconsistent. We aimed to determine whether individuals with MetS had decreased mental health-related QoL (MH-QoL) and higher frequency of depressive symptoms.

Methods

Data from 1,015 participants from the Fels Longitudinal Study were analyzed (mean age ± SD: 49.6 ± 18.7 years, 29.3% MetS, 51% females). MetS was determined using American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criteria. Depressive symptoms (yes vs. no) were assessed with The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). MH-QoL (low (≤ 42) vs. high) was assessed with The Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Sex- and age-stratified mixed effects logistic regressions were used to examine the longitudinal relationship between MetS and MH-QoL while adjusting for covariates such as age, smoking status, and drinking status.

Results

In cross-sectional analysis, MetS was significantly associated with elevated depressive symptoms in women (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.22–3.78, p < 0.01), but not in men. In the longitudinal analysis, MetS was observed to have a protective effect among men in the older age group as it approached significance (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.11–1.05, p = 0.06).

Conclusion

MetS was adversely associated with depressive symptoms and poor MH-QoL. Our cross-sectional results suggest that depressive symptoms are higher among women with MetS. Interestingly, our longitudinal results suggest that MH-QoL in men with MetS may improve with age.

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Acknowledgements

We extend our thanks to the research participants of the Fels Longitudinal Study and to all research assistants and staff. This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health: HD012252 and DK111201.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Arts and Sciences, Roosevelt University, 430 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL, 60605, USA

    Victoria M. Limon

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, Brownsville, TX, USA

    Miryoung Lee, Brandon Gonzalez, Audrey C. Choh & Stefan A. Czerwinski

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  1. Victoria M. Limon
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Correspondence to Victoria M. Limon.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the UTHealth Science Center School of Public Health research committee (HSC-SPH-17-0262, Miryoung Lee, PI) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Limon, V.M., Lee, M., Gonzalez, B. et al. The impact of metabolic syndrome on mental health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms. Qual Life Res 29, 2063–2072 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02479-5

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