Frontiers in Psychiatry (Aug 2023)

Gender differences in the association between anxiety symptoms and thyroid hormones in young patients with first-episode and drug naïve major depressive disorder

  • Ying Zhao,
  • Jia Cheng Liu,
  • Feng Yu,
  • Li Ying Yang,
  • Chuan Yi Kang,
  • Li Juan Yan,
  • Si Tong Liu,
  • Na Zhao,
  • Xiao Hong Wang,
  • Xiang Yang Zhang,
  • Xiang Yang Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1218551
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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ObjectiveGender differences are prevalent in major depressive disorder (MDD), but the gender differences in the relationship between comorbid anxiety and thyroid hormones in young first-episode and drug-naive (FEND) MDD patients are unknown.MethodsA total of 1,289 young outpatients with FEDN MDD were recruited. Demographic and clinical data were collected for each patient. The patient’s blood glucose, blood pressure, thyroid hormone, and thyroid antibody levels were measured. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess patients’ depression, anxiety, and positive symptoms, respectively.ResultsThe prevalence of comorbid anxiety disorders was 80.4 and 79.4% in male and female MDD patients, respectively. Patients with anxiety had higher HAMD and PANSS scores, higher serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin antibody (A-TG), and thyroid peroxidase antibody (A-TPO) levels, higher blood glucose and blood pressure levels, and more patients with psychotic symptoms and suicide attempts. Male patients were younger and had a younger age of onset. Logistic regression analysis showed that HAMD score and comorbid suicide attempts were significant predictors of anxiety symptoms in both males and females, whereas A-TG predicted anxiety symptoms in female patients only. Limitations: No causal relationship could be drawn due to the cross-sectional design.ConclusionThis study showed gender differences in factors associated with anxiety symptoms in patients with MDD. Some factors were associated with anxiety symptoms in both male and female patients, while A-TG was only associated with anxiety symptoms in female patients.

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