The prevalence and associated factors of overweight/obesity in patients with first-episode and drug-naïve major depressive disorder with subclinical hypothyroidism: Sex differences.

BACKGROUND

Overweight/obesity and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) are common in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study investigates the prevalence of overweight/obesity and its clinical correlates in Chinese first-episode, drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients with comorbid SCH, stratified by sex.

METHODS

This study utilized a cross-sectional design, enrolling 1718 first-episode, drug-naïve major depressive disorder (FEDN-MDD) patients, with demographic, clinical, and biochemical data collected. All participants were assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17), the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA-14), and the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Among these, 1038 MDD patients with comorbid subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) were analyzed for overweight/obesity and related factors, stratified by sex.

RESULTS

Among 1038 MDD patients with comorbid SCH, there was no significant sex difference in the prevalence of overweight/obesity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that in male MDD patients with comorbid SCH, suicide attempts were significantly associated with overweight/obesity (p < 0.001). For females, marital status, severe depression and HDL-C levels were associated with overweight/obesity (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for clinically relevant variables, the logistic regression showed that the interaction between sex and suicide attempts was significantly associated with overweight/obesity in MDD patients with comorbid SCH (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that, although there was no sex difference in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among FEDN-MDD patients with comorbid SCH, sex differences existed in the associated factors for overweight/obesity in this population. These findings provided valuable insights for personalized treatment approaches.