These findings suggest a significant correlation between high hs-CRP levels and depression in younger adults.

PMID: 

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019 Jul 30 ;109:104397. Epub 2019 Jul 30. PMID: 31377557

Abstract Title: 

Elevated hs-CRP level is associated with depression in younger adults: Results from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2016).

Abstract: 

INTRODUCTION: Reports on the association between the level of circulating high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and depression have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hs-CRP and depression in a large sample.METHODS: This study used data obtained from a representative Korean sample of 5447 people who participated in the first (2016) year of the seventh Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES VII-1). Depression was identified using a cutoff of 5 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and high hs-CPR level was defined as≥ 3.0 mg/L.FINDINGS: Participants with a high CRP levels had a significantly higher rate of depression than did those with a low hs-CRP levels (25.1% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.007). Serum hs-CRP was independently associated with the PHQ-9 total score after adjusting for potentially confounding factors (B = 0.014; 95% CI = 0.008-0.020). After controlling for body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol use problems, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic illness related hs-CRP, and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, elevated hs-CRP level was significantly associated with an increased risk ofdepression (adjusted OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.01-2.07) in younger adults, but no significant association was observed among older adults.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a significant correlation between high hs-CRP levels and depression in younger adults. Further studies are necessary to investigate the age-specific association and the biological mechanism involved.

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