HDL-C variability linked to depression risk in older Chinese adults: Insights from observational and Mendelian randomization studies.

Background: Depression is a significant public health concern, particularly among older adults. While variability in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been associated with various health outcomes, its relationship with depression remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between HDL-C variability and the risk of depression in a Chinese population, utilizing both observational data and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods: The study analyzed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 3014 participants. HDL-C variability was assessed using three metrics: variability independent of the mean (VIM), average real variability (ARV), and standard deviation (SD). Depressive symptoms were measured using the CESD-10 scale. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between HDL-C variability and depression, adjusting for potential confounders. Additionally, MR analysis was conducted to explore the causal relationship between HDL-C change and depression risk, utilizing genetic instruments from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Results: The observational study demonstrated that higher HDL-C variability, particularly as measured by ARV and SD, was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. Participants in the highest quartiles of ARV and SD exhibited significantly higher depression scores compared to those in the lowest quartiles, with consistent results across multiple adjusted models. However, the MR analysis indicated that genetically predicted increases in HDL-C levels, rather than variability, were associated with a lower risk of depression. This discrepancy suggests that the relationship between HDL-C and depression may be influenced by different underlying mechanisms.

Conclusion: The study provides evidence that higher HDL-C variability is associated with an increased risk of depression in older Chinese adults based on observational data. However, MR analysis suggests a potentially protective effect of overall HDL-C changes against depression. These findings highlight the complex and multifaceted relationship between HDL-C and depression, underscoring the need for further research to disentangle the distinct impacts of HDL-C variability and overall changes on mental health.