High serum total cholesterol is associated with suicide mortality in Japanese women

• OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between serum total cholesterol (TC) and suicide using a large general population cohort with long follow-up times.METHOD: Analyses included 16 341 men and 28 905 women aged 40-69 from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study followed from 1990 to 2012. TC levels were defined per clinical guidelines: low (<4.66 mmol/l [180 mg/dl]), normal (4.66-5.70 mmol/l [180-220 mg/dl]), and high (≥5.70 mmol/l [220 mg/dl]). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) for suicide according to TC level. Mean follow-up time was 19 years for men and 20 years for women.RESULTS: There were 185 suicides (men: 107; women: 78) during follow-up. Compared to women with normal TC, women with high TC had a significantly increased risk of suicide (HR = 1.90, 95% CI, 1.13-3.19). Incremental increases (0.26 mmol/l [10 mg/dl]) of low-density lipoprotein (HR = 1.11, 95% CI, 1.02-1.21) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HR = 1.09, 95% CI, 1.01-1.18) were also associated with increased risk of suicide in women. There was no association between TC levels, or lipid fractions, and suicide in men.CONCLUSION: High TC levels may be associated with an increased risk of suicide in women.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Näringslära (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nutrition and Dietetics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

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