Abstract 14544: The Association of Inflammation with Obesity and Depressive Symptoms among People with Multiple Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

Abstract

Background: Obesity and depression are associated with inflammation. Inflammation is a biological mechanism underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD). Obese people with depression may be at a greater risk of CVD due to increased inflammation, compared to obese people without depression or non-obese people with depression. However, the potential combined effects of obesity and depression on inflammation have not been investigated

Purpose: To examine the combined effects of obesity and depression on the inflammatory marker, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), in people with multiple CVD risk factors

Methods: A total of 859 people (52 yrs, 75% female) provided blood for serum hs-CRP and had height and weight measured for body mass index (BMI=kg/m²). The Patient Health Questionniare-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Bivariate correlation was used to assess the relationship between BMI and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regression was conducted to examine whether the interaction of BMI and depressive symptoms (BMI*PHQ-9 scores) predicted levels of hs-CRP (log-transformed) after controlling for the following covariates: age, gender, HbA1C, and smoking history. In Step 1, covariates and depressive symptoms were entered, followed by BMI in Step 2. In Step3, the interaction of BMI and PHQ-9 scores (BMI*PHQ-9 scores) was added.

Results: There was a significant correlation between BMI and PHQ-9 scores (r=.17). In Step 1, PHQ-9 scores independently predicted hs-CRP levels. In Step 2, BMI, but not PHQ-9 scores, independently predicted hs-CRP levels. In Step 3, there was no BMI* PHQ-9 interaction; only BMI predicted levels of hs-CRP (Table).

Conclusions: In the company of obesity, depressive symptoms do not significantly contribute to increased inflammation in people with multiple CVD risk factors. This study suggests that obesity is responsible for the relationship between depressive symptoms and inflammation in this population.