Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the bidirectional association between dyslipidemia and depression, and the potential predictive role of lipid level changes for depression onset. METHODS: A systematic search of the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases was conducted to identify cohort studies on blood lipids and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) parameters related to depression, from database inception to May 2024. Data were analyzed using Stata 14.0 software. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the analysis. Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels are significantly associated with an increased risk of depression (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.53; OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.20 - 1.66, P < 0.05). However, depressive symptoms do significantly affect serum HDL, LDL, triglyceride, or total cholesterol levels (ORs = 0.88, 1.05, 1.05, 1.11; 95% CIs: 0.58 - 1.35, 0.88 - 1.24, 0.91 - 1.21, 0.9 - 1.32, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the present findings, changes in serum HDL and triglyceride levels are significantly linked to depression incidence. Monitoring these two lipid parameters may aid in early identification of at-risk individuals and enhance the prognosis and quality of life for depressed patients through timely interventions. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42024542833.