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Childhood Insulin Sensitivity, Adiposity Linked With Later Psychosis, Depression
Certain fasting insulin level and body mass index (BMI) trajectories during midchildhood and puberty onset are associated with psychosis and depression in young adulthood, according to a study published online in JAMA Psychiatry.
“Cardiometabolic disorders often occur concomitantly with psychosis and depression, contribute to high mortality rates, and are detectable from the onset of the psychiatric disorders,” researchers wrote in the study introduction. “However, it is unclear whether longitudinal trends in cardiometabolic traits from childhood are associated with risks for adult psychosis and depression.”
The study included up to 10,463 individuals from a population-representative British cohort. Participants had fasting insulin levels measured at ages 9, 15, 18, and 24 years, and BMI measured at ages 1-4, 7, 9-12, 15, 18, and 24 years.
Youth Depression Linked With Increased Risk of Disease, Early Death
Among participants, researchers identified 3 distinct trajectories for fasting insulin levels and 5 distinct trajectories for BMI that appeared by midchildhood. A trajectory of persistently high fasting insulin levels from age 9 was associated with increased risk of psychosis at age 24, according to the study. A major increase in BMI at puberty onset was associated with depression at age 24.
The study found no consistent evidence linking fasting insulin levels with depression or BMI with psychosis.
“Although residual confounding may be an issue, our results suggest that these cardiometabolic markers could be among shared risk factors and indicators for adult cardiometabolic and psychiatric disorders,” researchers wrote, “and may represent novel targets for prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disorders in people with psychosis and depression.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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