Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-fv566 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-22T17:04:53.686Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

No correlation of serum cholesterol levels with measures of violence in patients with schizophrenia and non-psychotic disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

T. Steinert ,
M. Woelfle  and
R.P. Gebhardt
T. Steinert*
Affiliation:
Centre of Psychiatry Weissenau, Dep. Psychiatry 1, University of Ulm, Ulm, Gemany
M. Woelfle
Affiliation:
Centre of Psychiatry Weissenau, Dep. Psychiatry 1, University of Ulm, Ulm, Gemany
R.P. Gebhardt
Affiliation:
Centre of Psychiatry Weissenau, Dep. Psychiatry 1, University of Ulm, Ulm, Gemany
*
*Address for correspondence: T. Steinert, ZfP Weissenau, Weingartshofer Str., D-88214 Ravensburg-Weissenau, Germany
Get access

Summary

Epidemiological studies, animal studies, and clinical studies yielded conflicting results concerning a supposed association between increased risk for suicide and violence, and low serum cholesterol levels. Until now, no data has been available for patients with schizophrenia, a disorder with a well-known increased risk of violence. Correlations of serum cholesterol levels at admission and measures of violence were investigated in 103 consecutively admitted patients (44 males, 59 females) of a general psychiatric admission unit. Seventy subjects were diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (ICD-10 F 20, F25), and 33 were diagnosed as suffering from non-psychotic disorders (mainly personality disorders). The level of total exhibited violence during the inpatient treatment period was measured in each patient by the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), the Social Dysfunction and Aggression Scale (SDAS), the Staff Observation Aggression Scale (SOAS), and the Violence Scale (VS). Correlations of all violence measures were high (0.75–0.90), but no correlation was found with cholesterol levels, neither for psychotic nor for non-psychotic subjects, neither for men nor for women. The hypothesis of associations of violence and cholesterol levels is not supported by the data.

Keywords

aggressioncholesterolschizophreniaviolence
Type
Short communication
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 14 , Issue 6 , October 1999 , pp. 346 - 348
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bond, AJ. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and aggression in the general population Br J Psychiatry 1993 ; 163 : 666-8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boston, PFDursun, SMReveley, MA. Cholesterol and mental disorder Br J Psychiatry 1996 ; 169 : 682-9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fritze, JSchneider, BLanczik, M. Autoaggressive behavior and cholesterol Neuropsychobiology 1992 ; 26 : 180-1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gallerani, MManfredini, RCaracciolo, SScapoli, CMolinari, SFersini, C. Serum cholesterol levels in parasuicide Br Med J 1995 ; 310 : 1632-6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golier, JAMarzuk, PMLeon, ACWeiner, CTardiff, K. Low serum cholesterol level and attempted suicide Am J Psychiatry 1995 ; 152 : 419-23.Google ScholarPubMed
Hawthon, KCowen, POwens, DBond, AEllicott, M. Low serum cholesterol and suicide Br J Psychiatry 1993 ; 165 : 818-25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillbrand, MSpitz, RTFoster, HG. Serum cholesterol and aggression hospitalized male forensic patients J Behav Med 1995 ; 18 : 33–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaplan, JRShively, CAFontenot, MBMorgan, TMHowell, SMManuck, SB et al. Demonstration of an association among dietary cholesterol, central serotonergic activity, and social behavior in monkeys Psychosom Med 1994 ; 56 : 479-84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, SRWolkenfeld, FMurrill, LM. Profiles of aggression among psychiatric patients. I. Nature and prevalence J Nerv Ment Dis 1988 ; 176 : 539-46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kunugi, HTake, NAoki, HNanko, S. Low serum cholesterol in suicide attempters Biol Psychiatry 1997 ; 41 : 196–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Modai, IValevski, ADror, SWezman, A. Serum cholesterol levels and suicidal tendencies in psychiatric inpatients J Clin Psychiatry 1995 ; 56 : 434-5.Google Scholar
Morrison, EF. The measurement of aggression and violence in hospitalized psychiatric patients Int J Nurs Stud 1993 ; 30 : 51–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orengo, CAKunik, MEMolinari, VATeasdale, TA, Workman, RHYudofsky, SC. Association of serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels with agitation and cognitive function in a geropsychiatry unit J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1996 ; 9 : 53-6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palmstierna, TWistedt, B. Staff observation aggression scale, SOAS: Presentation and evaluation Acta psychiatr Scand 1987 ; 76 : 657-63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scheffel, A. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL in aggressive elderly patients with dementia Psychiatr Pol 1996 ; 30 : 159-70.Google ScholarPubMed
Shah, ADe, T. The relationship between two scales measuring aggressive behavior among continuing-care psychogenatric inpatients Int Psychogeriatr 1997 ; 9 : 471-7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steinert, TWiebe, CGebhardt, RP. Aggressive behavior against self and others among first-admission patients with schizophrenia Psychiatr Serv 1999 ; 50 : 85–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steinert, TWolfersdorf, MThoma, HMarpert, M. Beeinflusst Dauerhospitalisierung die kardiovaskuläre Mortalität bei Schizophrenen? Fortschr Neurol Psychiat 1996 ; 64 : 212-20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vartianien, EPuska, PPekkanen, JTuoinilehto, JLonnqvist, JEhnholm, C. Serum cholesterol concentration and mortality from accidents, suicide, and other violent causes Br Med J 1994 ; 309 : 445-7.Google Scholar
Wessely, SCCastle, DDouglas, AJTaylor, PJ. The criminal careers of incident cases of schizophrenia Psychol Med 1994 ; 24 : 483–502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wistedt, BRasmussen, APedersen, LMalm, UTräskman- Bendz, LWakelun, J, et al. The development of an observer-scale for measuring social dysfunction and aggression Pharmacopsychiatry 1990 ; 23 : 249-52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zureik, MCourbon, DDucimetiere, P. Serum cholesterol concentration and death from suicide in men: Paris prospective study I Br Med J 1996 ; 313 : 649-51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.