Increased Serum PAI-1 Levels in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome and Long-Term Adverse Mental Symptoms : A Population-Based Study

Abstract EN

Depression is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), an inhibitor of tissue-type and urokinase-type plasminogen activators, are associated with MetS.

To clarify the role of PAI-1 in subjects with long-term adverse mental symptomatology (LMS; including depression) and MetS, we measured circulating PAI-1 levels in controls (n=111), in subjects with MetS and free of mental symptoms (n=42), and in subjects with both MetS and long-term mental symptoms (n=70).

PAI-1 increased linearly across the three groups in men.

In logistic regression analysis, men with PAI-1 levels above the median had a 3.4-fold increased likelihood of suffering from the comorbidity of long-term adverse mental symptoms and MetS, while no such associations were detected in women.

In conclusion, our results suggest that in men high PAI-1 levels are independently associated with long-term mental symptomatology.