Study: Depression Raises Heart Disease Risk in Obese Men

Obese men who are also depressed have a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease than those who are not depressed, according to a study in the August issue of Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

The culprit is C-reactive protein (CRP). In higher levels, this protein is thought to be a good predictor of future heart disease.

Researchers studied a large group of obese German men between the ages 45 to 74. Their CRP levels were higher in those who were the most depressed, according to Karl-Heinz Ladwig, of the National Research Center for Environment and Health in Germany. Depression did not affect CRP levels among non-obese men.

"We cannot provide a convincing explanation why the association between CRP and depression was much stronger in obese than in non-obese participants. However, it may be that both conditions -- obesity and depression -- share a common ground which, in consequence, makes depressed, obese subjects in particular susceptible for coronary heart disease," Ladwig said.

The association between obesity and depression remained strong even after accounting for other factors that can affect CRP levels, including smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity, according to the researchers. Twenty-three percent of the 3,205 men included in the study were identified as obese. On the whole, the group of obese men was not any more depressed than the non-obese group, Ladwig said.

Other sources: Brain, Behavior and Immunity (17:4;268-275), Health Behavior News Service