Depression and metabolic syndrome in participants of the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a major public health concern worldwide and its association with metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. Thus, we prospectively examined the association between depression and the risk of MetS, according to different diagnosis criteria. METHODS: This study included 9,237 participants of a Spanish dynamic prospective cohort of adult university graduates [mean (SD) age: 36.7 year (10.7)], initially free of any specific criterion of MetS, who were followed-up for a median of 8.3 years. The exposure variables were medical diagnosis of depression at baseline or in the first 2-year follow-up questionnaire. The outcome variable was the incidence of MetS, assessed according to each of three different criteria proposed by: International Diabetes Federation (IDF); National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III); IDF/NCEP-ATP III (updated harmonizing definition). Multivariable-adjusted Relative Risks (RR) of new-onset MetS and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were estimated, using Poisson regression models. RESULTS: The cumulative incidences of MetS were 475 cases (IDF definition), 288 cases (NCEP-ATP III definition) and 492 cases (update harmonized definition). No association was observed between baseline depression and incidence of MetS, but the presence of depression after 2-years of follow-up was significantly associated with a higher risk of new-onset MetS, according to NCEP-ATP III definition (multivariable-adjusted RR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.06-5.67). LIMITATIONS: Diagnosis of depression and MetS were self-reported. CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective cohort of Spanish middle-aged adult university graduates, a direct association between depression and the risk of MetS according to NCEP-ATP III definition was found.

Body shape trajectories and incidence of depression in the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) prospective cohort.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIM: The association between trajectories of body-shape from early childhood to early adulthood (first 40 years of life) and subsequent depression risk has not been explored before. We assessed this association in a prospective cohort of university graduates. METHODS: We used a group-based modeling approach to assess the body shape trajectories from age 5 to 40 years, among 3888 women and 4124 men of the "Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra" (SUN) cohort study. All participants were free of depression at the beginning of the follow-up, and the occurrence of a new medical diagnosis of depression was evaluated every two years. RESULTS: Four distinct trajectories for women and men were found ("lean-moderate increase", "medium-stable", "heavy-medium" and "heavy-marked increase" for women and "lean-marked increase", "medium-marked increase", "medium-stable" and "heavy-stable" for men). Among 78,475 person-years of follow-up a total of 351 incident cases of depression were identified. Among women, compared to those who maintained a medium body shape during life span ("medium-stable" trajectory), women who were heavy at childhood and had a marked increase in their body shape during early adult life ("heavy-marked increase" trajectory) showed significantly higher risk of a new-onset depression [HR = 1.92 (1.18-3.13)]. No association was observed in men between body-shape trajectories and subsequent risk of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in a Mediterranean cohort, women who were heavy at early childhood and showed marked increases in body shape during early adulthood were at higher risk of developing depression later in life.

Preventing the recurrence of depression with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil. The PREDI-DEP trial: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The role of dietary patterns in the prevention of unipolar depression has been analyzed in several epidemiological studies. The primary aims of this study are to determine the effectiveness of an extra-olive oil-enriched Mediterranean diet in reducing the recurrence of depression and improving the symptoms of this condition. METHODS: Multicenter, two-arm, parallel-group clinical trial. Arm 1, extra-virgin olive oil Mediterranean diet; Arm 2, control group without nutritional intervention. Dieticians are in charge of the nutritional intervention and regular contact with the participants. Contacts are made through our web platform ( https://predidep.es/participantes/ ) or by phone. Recurrence of depression is assessed by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists through clinical evaluations (semi-structured clinical interviews: Spanish SCID-I). Depressive symptoms are assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory. Information on quality of life, level of physical activity, dietary habits, and blood, urine and stool samples are collected after the subject has agreed to participate in the study and once a year. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, the PREDI-DEP trial is the first ongoing randomized clinical trial designed to assess the role of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of recurrent depression. It could be a cost-effective approach to avoid recurrence and improve the quality of life of these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been prospectively registered in the U.S. National Library of Medicine ( https://clinicaltrials.gov ) with NCT number: NCT03081065.

Self-perceived level of competitiveness, tension, and dependency and lifestyles in the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra' cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the differences in lifestyles according to levels of self-perceived competitiveness, psychological tension, and dependency in a Mediterranean cohort of university graduates. STUDY DESIGN: Levels of personality traits, food consumption, nutrient intake, eating attitudes, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and alcohol and tobacco consumption were assessed through a questionnaire administered at baseline. This was a cross-sectional study in the context of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort. Participants are 15,346 Spanish adults. RESULTS: Participants with a high level of self-perceived competitiveness consumed more vegetables and fish but less refined grains; they had higher protein intake and healthier eating attitudes. They were more physically active and less likely to be smokers. Participants with a high level of tension or dependency were less physically active, and participants more dependent also had poorer adherence to the Mediterranean diet. CONCLUSIONS: Self-perceived personality traits, especially the trait of competitiveness, are likely to be associated with healthier dietary patterns, better nutrient profile, better eating attitudes, physical activity, and less exposure to smoking. The use of short questions about self-perceived levels of competitiveness, psychological tension, and dependency can contribute to add additional information when assessing lifestyles and diet in adults.