@article{ref1,
title="Disentangling the relationship between cholesterol, aggression, and impulsivity in severe mental disorders",
journal="Brain and behavior",
year="2020",
author="Hjell, Gabriela and Mørch-Johnsen, Lynn and Holst, René and Tesli, Natalia and Bell, Christina and Lunding, Synve Hoffart and Rødevand, Linn and Werner, Maren Caroline Frogner and Melle, Ingrid and Andreassen, Ole Andreas and Lagerberg, Trine Vik and Steen, Nils Eiel and Haukvik, Unn Kristin",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: Low total cholesterol has been linked with adverse mental symptoms such as aggression and impulsivity in severe mental disorders (SMDs). This putative association may affect the clinician's decision making about cholesterol lowering in this patient group. Here, we investigated the associations between cholesterol levels, aggression, and impulsivity in a large representative sample of in- and outpatients with SMD.   METHODS: Patients with schizophrenia- or bipolar spectrum disorders (N = 1 001) underwent thorough clinical characterization and blood sampling (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Aggression was characterized by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component. Impulsivity was measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale in a subsample of patients (N = 288). We used a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the association between cholesterol and aggression and a multiple linear regression model to analyze the association between cholesterol and impulsivity, while controlling for confounders.   RESULTS: We found no significant associations between cholesterol levels and aggression or impulsivity. There were no significant interactions between cholesterol and diagnostic group or inpatient versus outpatient status. Controlling for medication use, body mass index, alcohol or illicit substance use did not affect the results.   CONCLUSION: In this large sample of patients with schizophrenia- and bipolar spectrum disorders, we found no associations between cholesterol levels and aggression or impulsivity. This has clinical implications as patients with SMD are at increased CVD risk and currently undertreated with statins.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2162-3279",
doi="10.1002/brb3.1751",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1751"
}