Table 3 Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for MDD according to quartile of plasma PUFAs in the JPHC Study (n = 1,213).

From: Plasma phospholipid n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and major depressive disorder in Japanese elderly: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study

 

Quartile of fatty acids

P for trend

1 (low)

2

3

4 (high)

Total n-3 PUFAs (median for controls, %)

8.9

10.6

12.0

14.4

 

Individuals with MDD

27

21

31

24

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

0.78 (0.48–1.40)

1.14 (0.67–1.97)

0.89 (0.50–1.58)

0.97

Model 2b

1.00

0.76 (0.41–1.38)

1.19 (0.68–2.06)

0.87 (0.49–1.56)

0.96

α–Linolenic acid (median for controls, %)

0.26

0.31

0.36

0.45

 

Individuals with MDD

26

23

29

25

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

0.88 (0.49–1.58)

1.11 (0.62–1.94)

0.96 (0.54–1.71)

0.90

Model 2b

1.00

0.90 (0.50–1.63)

1.11 (0.63–1.96)

0.92 (0.51–1.66)

0.98

EPA (median for controls, %)

1.59

2.25

3.07

4.55

 

Individuals with MDD

26

27

30

20

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

1.03 (0.59–1.82)

1.15 (0.66–1.99)

0.77 (0.42–1.41)

0.53

Model 2b

1.00

1.00 (0.57–1.78)

1.21 (0.69–2.12)

0.80 (0.43–1.48)

0.68

DHA (median for controls, %)

5.79

6.84

7.58

8.68

 

Individuals with MDD

22

29

25

27

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

1.31 (0.74–2.34)

1.13 (0.62–2.06)

1.23 (0.68–2.21)

0.64

Model 2b

1.00

1.31 (0.73–2.35)

1.12 (0.61–2.05)

1.16 (0.64–2.10)

0.79

DPA (median for controls, %)

0.73

0.89

1.02

1.27

 

Individuals with MDD

23

23

35

22

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

1.00 (0.55–1.82)

1.52 (0.87–2.63)

0.96 (0.52–1.76)

0.70

Model 2b

1.00

1.01 (0.55–1.85)

1.50 (0.86–2.63)

0.97 (0.53–1.80)

0.67

Total n-6 PUFAs (median for controls, %)

25.9

28.5

30.2

32.1

 

Individuals with MDD

19

28

29

27

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

1.47 (0.80–2.69)

1.52 (0.83–2.78)

1.42 (0.77–2.62)

0.29

Model 2b

1.00

1.53 (0.83–2.82)

1.54 (0.84–2.84)

1.37 (0.73–2.55)

0.38

Linoleic acid (median for controls, %)

15.6

18.2

20.1

22.2

 

Individuals with MDD

27

25

31

20

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

0.92 (0.52–1.63)

1.14 (0.67–1.97)

0.74 (0.41–1.35)

0.53

Model 2b

1.00

1.03 (0.58–1.82)

1.14 (0.66–1.97)

0.75 (0.41–1.38)

0.49

AA (median for controls, %)

6.17

7.08

7.84

9.12

 

Individuals with MDD

26

15

26

36

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

0.57 (0.30–1.11)

1.00 (0.56–1.76)

1.38 (0.81–2.36)

0.09

Model 2b

1.00

0.55 (0.28–1.07)

1.01 (0.57–1.80)

1.40 (0.81–2.40)

0.08

n-6/n-3 ratio (median for controls)

1.85

2.39

2.83

3.59

 

Individuals with MDD

23

32

19

29

 

Individuals without MDD

280

271

285

274

 

Model 1a

1.00

1.44 (0.82–2.52)

0.81 (0.43–1.52)

1.29 (0.73–2.28)

0.82

Model 2b

1.00

1.48 (0.84–2.62)

0.79 (0.42–1.49)

1.30 (0.73–2.32)

0.85

AA/EPA (median for controls)

1.57

2.46

3.32

4.90

 

Individuals with MDD

19

28

30

26

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

1.47 (0.80–2.69)

1.57 (0.86–2.86)

1.37 (0.74–2.53)

0.33

Model 2b

1.00

1.46 (0.79–2.70)

1.53 (0.83–2.80)

1.34 (0.72–2.50)

0.39

AA/DHA (median for controls)

0.79

0.96

1.12

1.43

 

Individuals with MDD

24

20

25

34

 

Individuals without MDD

277

278

278

277

 

Model 1a

1.00

0.83 (0.45–1.54)

1.04 (0.58–1.86)

1.42 (0.82–2.45)

0.14

Model 2b

1.00

0.84 (0.45–1.57)

1.01 (0.56–1.82)

1.46 (0.83–2.54)

0.14

  1. Fatty acids are expressed as percentage of total fatty acid.
  2. Abbreviations: AA, arachidonic acid; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; DPA, docosapentaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid; MDD, major depressive disorder; PUFAs, polyunsaturated fatty acids.
  3. a Crude odds ratios.
  4. b Adjusted for age, sex, past history of depression, cancer, stroke, myocardial infarction, and diabetes mellitus.
  5. After individuals without MDD were categorized according to the quartile distributions of plasma phospholipid fatty acid level using the SAS program, boundary values were calculated by averaging the maximum and minimum values of lower and higher quartiles, respectively. For example, the first boundary value was calculated by averaging the maximum value of first quartile and minimum value of the second quartile. Although the original values (first, second and third boundaries) were computed to seven decimal places, the respective values shown are rounded to one or two decimal places: 9.8, 11.2, and 12.9 for total n-3 PUFAs; 0.29, 0.33, and 0.39 for α-linolenic acid (ALA); 1.93, 2.63, and 3.56 for EPA; 6.40, 7.22, and 7.99 for DHA; 0.82, 0.95, and 1.11 for DPA; 27.5, 29.4, and 31.0 for total n-6 PUFAs; 17.1, 19.2, and 21.1 for linoleic acid (LA); 6.70, 7.47, and 8.33 for AA; 2.16, 2.59, and 3.12 for n-6/n-3 ratio; 2.01, 2.86, and 4.05 for AA/EPA ratio; and 0.89, 1.04, and 1.23 for AA/DHA ratio.
Back to article page