Serum Cholesterol Levels and Anxiety Diorders

The present study aimed to compare symptoms of anxiety disorders in different levels of total serum cholesterol (in patients with high and low levels of total serum cholesterol).

The target paper was conducted with a comparative method. Using a convenience sampling, among those patients with high and low serum total cholesterol level who had been referred to the Central Laboratory of East Azerbaijan, 100 patients (50 subjects in each group, ages 35 to 55) were selected. The subjects were assessed by SCL-90-R self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.

Findings revealed a significant difference between the study groups on anxiety disorders. Furthermore, data analysis showed that compared with the patients who had low serum cholesterol level (hypocholesterolemia), those with high levels of serum cholesterol scored significantly higher on anxiety, phobic anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Physical diseases and psychological disorders are highly interrelated.The pathophysiology of psychological disorders may be associated with the biological alterations. Consequently, people with medical diseases often evidence associated psychopathology. Hence, high serum cholesterol levels could be related to anxiety symptoms.