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International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 6/2017

01-12-2017

Fasting Glucose and the Risk of Depressive Symptoms: Instrumental-Variable Regression in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Authors: Karolina Wesołowska, Marko Elovainio, Taina Hintsa, Markus Jokela, Laura Pulkki-Råback, Niina Pitkänen, Jari Lipsanen, Janne Tukiainen, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Terho Lehtimäki, Markus Juonala, Olli Raitakari, Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen

Published in: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 6/2017

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Abstract

Purpose

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been associated with depressive symptoms, but the causal direction of this association and the underlying mechanisms, such as increased glucose levels, remain unclear. We used instrumental-variable regression with a genetic instrument (Mendelian randomization) to examine a causal role of increased glucose concentrations in the development of depressive symptoms.

Method

Data were from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (n = 1217). Depressive symptoms were assessed in 2012 using a modified Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I). Fasting glucose was measured concurrently with depressive symptoms. A genetic risk score for fasting glucose (with 35 single nucleotide polymorphisms) was used as an instrumental variable for glucose.

Results

Glucose was not associated with depressive symptoms in the standard linear regression (B = −0.04, 95% CI [−0.12, 0.04], p = .34), but the instrumental-variable regression showed an inverse association between glucose and depressive symptoms (B = −0.43, 95% CI [−0.79, −0.07], p = .020). The difference between the estimates of standard linear regression and instrumental-variable regression was significant (p = .026)

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the association between T2D and depressive symptoms is unlikely to be caused by increased glucose concentrations. It seems possible that T2D might be linked to depressive symptoms due to low glucose levels.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Fasting Glucose and the Risk of Depressive Symptoms: Instrumental-Variable Regression in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study
Authors
Karolina Wesołowska
Marko Elovainio
Taina Hintsa
Markus Jokela
Laura Pulkki-Råback
Niina Pitkänen
Jari Lipsanen
Janne Tukiainen
Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen
Terho Lehtimäki
Markus Juonala
Olli Raitakari
Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 6/2017
Print ISSN: 1070-5503
Electronic ISSN: 1532-7558
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-017-9639-2

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