Aggression in Women with Schizophrenia Is Associated with Lower HDL Cholesterol Levels

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Dora Herceg
• Author: Ninoslav Mimica
• Author: Miroslav Herceg
• Author: Krešimir Puljić
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Psychiatry

Abstract (english)

This study assessed the association between serum lipid levels and aggression in female patients with schizophrenia. The study included female patients with schizophrenia (N = 120). The participants were subdivided into two groups (aggressive and nonaggressive), with 60 participants in each group. Serum lipids—cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins (HDL cholesterol), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol)—were determined. The clinical part of the study included an evaluation using psychiatric scales: the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the aggression subscale of the PANSS scale (PANSS-AG), and the overt aggression scale (OAS). Significant differences were only observed in HDL cholesterol levels, where aggressive subjects had significantly lower values of HDL cholesterol (t = 2.540; p = 0.012), and the representation of subjects with low cholesterol values was almost three-times higher in the group of subjects with aggression (χ2 = 7.007; p = 0.008) compared to the nonaggressive group. The nominally significant predictor for HDL cholesterol in nonaggressive and aggressive participants was the total value of the PANSS scores. In subjects with aggression, suicidality was not significantly associated with HDL cholesterol levels. Our findings suggest that lower HDL cholesterol is significantly associated with aggression in women with schizophrenia.

• Keywords (english): Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Lipoproteins, HDL; Triglycerides; Cholesterol
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Numbering: vol. 23, no. 19, 11858
• e-ISSN: 1422-0067
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911858
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:124066
• Publication: 2022-10-06
• Document URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11858
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2023-08-22 08:08:37