%0 Journal Article
%T The Relationships between Cholesterol and Suicide: An Update
%A Domenico De Berardis
%A Stefano Marini
%A Monica Piersanti
%A Marilde Cavuto
%A Giampaolo Perna
%A Alessandro Valchera
%A Monica Mazza
%A Michele Fornaro
%A Felice Iasevoli
%A Giovanni Martinotti
%A Massimo Di Giannantonio
%J ISRN Psychiatry
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/387901
%X Cholesterol is a core component of the central nervous system, essential for the cell membrane stability and the correct functioning of neurotransmission. It has been observed that cholesterol may be somewhat associated with suicidal behaviours. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to elucidate current facts and views about the role of cholesterol levels in mood disorders. The majority of the studies reviewed in the present paper suggest an interesting relationship between cholesterol (especially lower levels) and suicidality. On the other hand, particularly during the last years, relationships between serum cholesterol and suicidality were doubted on the basis of some recent studies that have not found any correlation. However, the debate on relationships between cholesterol and suicide is open and longitudinal studies on a larger sample of patients are needed to further clarify this important issue. 1. Introduction Cholesterol is a core component of the central nervous system (CNS), essential for the cell membrane stability and the correct functioning of neurotransmission [1]. It plays a crucial role in the second messenger systems of the brain that have been associated with the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs and mood stabilizers and may be involved in the aetiology and pathogenesis of mood disorders [2, 3]. Several studies have shown that patients with major depression (MD) have lower total cholesterol (TC) levels than nondepressed individuals [4, 5]. In addition, lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) cholesterol concentrations and higher ratios of TC/high-density lipoprotein (TC/HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein (LDL-C/HDL-C) are also noted in patients with MD [6¨C8]. It has been observed that cholesterol may be somewhat associated with suicidal behaviours [9, 10]. Moreover, it was found that adiposity together with a high waist-to-hip ratio may be associated with an increased risk of suicide [11]. All considered, a possible usefulness in evaluating serum cholesterol levels in affective patients may be the prediction of development of suicidal ideation [12]. Therefore, the monitoring of cholesterol may result in a reduction of mortality due to suicidality [9]. However, during the last two years, involvement of serum cholesterol in pathogenesis of MD was doubted on the basis of some recent studies that have not found any correlation between serum cholesterol and depressive symptoms [13]. Therefore, the aim of the present paper was to elucidate current facts and views about the role of cholesterol levels in
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.psychiatry/2012/387901/