Serum cholesterol concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal male patients suffering from persistent delusional disorder.

Suicidal behavior is a major health risk in psychiatric disorders, especially in affective and psychotic disorders. The neurobiology of suicidal behavior is still unclear. Suicidality has been related to a reduced cholesterol levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum cholesterol concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal men suffering from persistent delusional disorder and in healthy volunteers. Results showed that serum cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in suicidal than in non-suicidal patients and healthy controls. Also, level of psychopathology (measured by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) is significantly marked in the group of suicidal patients, which indicates the importance of detecting some clinical symptoms in patients with persistent delusional disorder in order to prevent suicidal behavior.