Low cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour

This study was published in Psychiatria Polska 1996 Sep-Oct;30(5):699-712

Study title and authors:
The study of the relationship between cholesterol and lipid concentration and suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia affective illness
Rybakowski J, Ainiyet J, Szajnerman Z, Zakrzewska M.
Kliniki Psychiatrii Dorosłych AM w Poznaniu.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8984512

This study investigated the association of cholesterol levels with suicidal behaviour in patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Cholesterol levels were recorded in 143 patients with either schizophrenia, depression, or mania.

The study found:
(a)  Patients with suicidal behaviours had significantly lower levels of cholesterol compared with patients without such behaviours.
(b) Patients with suicidal behaviours had significantly lower levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared with patients without such behaviours.

The finding of the study reveal that low cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in patients with psychiatric disorders.

Low cholesterol is significantly associated with schizophrenia

This study was published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2003 Sep;108(3):208-14

Study title and authors:

Serum leptin and cholesterol levels in schizophrenic patients with and without suicide attempts.

Atmaca M, Kuloglu M, Tezcan E, Ustundag B.

Departments of Psychiatry and Clinical Biochemistry, Firat University, School of Medicine, Elazig, Turkey. matmaca_p@yahoo.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12890276

The study examined the association of cholesterol levels in schizophrenic patients with and without suicide attempts. The study included 16 medication-free schizophrenic patients with and without suicide attempts and in 16 healthy controls.

The study found:
(a) The schizophrenic patients had lower cholesterol levels compared with the controls.
(b) The schizophrenic patients who had attempted suicide had significantly lower cholesterol levels compared with the schizophrenic patients who had not.
(c) Cholesterol levels were lower in violent suicide attempters when compared with non-violent suicide attempters.

The results of the study show that low cholesterol is significantly associated with schizophrenia, especially in suicide attempters and even more so in violent suicide attempters.