Zhongguo quanke yixue (Jun 2024)
Association between Cumulative Episodes of C-reactive Protein Elevations and Somatic/Non-somatic Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Middle-aged and Older Adults: Prospective Cohort Study
Abstract
Background Whether considering the cumulative effect of sustained C-reactive protein (CRP) and distinguishing different aspects of depressive symptoms may be the reasons for the inconsistent conclusions of previous studies on the association between CRP and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. The relationship between cumulative effects of CRP elevations and different aspects of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults in China is not well understood. Objective This study aims to examine the relationship between cumulative episodes of CRP elevations over two successive determinations and depressive symptoms, as well as somatic and non-somatic retardation, among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Methods This study used public data from the 2011-2018 Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and included 3 868 subjects. They were categorized based on the frequency of CRP elevations over two consecutive measurements: "elevated on zero occasion" (n=2 918), "elevated on one occasion" (n=763), and "elevated on two occasions" (n=187). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) in 2011, 2015, and 2018, capturing both somatic and non-somatic dimensions. Multiple linear was used to explore the associations between cumulative episodes of CRP elevations over two successive determinations with depressive symptom scores in 2018, as well as the scores of somatic and non-somatic components separately. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to investigate the effects of cumulative episodes of CRP elevations on the risk of depressive symptoms in 2018. Results The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that after adjusting for all covariates, elevated on two occasions compared with elevated on zero occasion, which was an influential factor for the total score of depressive symptoms (β=1.22, P<0.05), the score of somatic depressive symptoms (β=0.51, P<0.05) and the score of non-somatic symptoms (β=0.71, P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for all covariates, elevated on two occasions were associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms than elevated on zero occasion (OR=1.64, 95%CI=1.18-2.29) . Conclusion Among Chinese middle-aged and older adults, there is a positive association between cumulative effects of CRP elevations and depressive symptoms, encompassing both somatic and non-somatic retardation. Addressing chronic inflammation and treating chronic inflammatory diseases promptly may help mitigate depression risk.
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