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"Good" cholesterol may help lower the risk of mental illnesses, according to scientific research. 

In a comprehensive study examining biomarkers and their association with mental health disorders, researchers found intriguing connections between metabolic factors and psychological well-being.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from over 211,000 participants to investigate the relationship between blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol levels, and the risk of developing depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders.

Participants in the Swedish Apolipoprotein-Related Mortality Risk (AMORIS) cohort were studied over 20 years, with researchers measuring various metabolic biomarkers including blood sugar, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol, and triglycerides.

The results revealed that individuals with higher levels of blood sugar and triglycerides were at an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders, while those with higher levels of HDL cholesterol seemed to be protected against these mental illnesses.

The findings underscore the importance of monitoring metabolic biomarkers and conducting regular follow-ups to enable early detection and intervention for mental health conditions.

Dr. Alex Dimitriu, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, commented on the study's significance, noting the potential implications of glucose and triglyceride levels on mental health outcomes.

"This was an interesting study. High levels of glucose and triglycerides and low levels of (healthy) HDL protein were associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety and stress-disorders... Elevations in glucose and triglycerides as well as lipid abnormalities, may be associated with autonomic dysregulation (high cortisol states). These markers may also be signs of elevated inflammation, which has also been associated with mental health conditions," Dimitriu told Medical News Today.

However, the study also faced certain limitations, including its specific population sample, which may limit generalizability to other demographics.

Additionally, potential confounding factors such as obesity and physical inactivity could affect both metabolic changes and the risk of developing mental health disorders, highlighting the complexity of the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and mental well-being.

While the findings provide valuable insights into the interplay between metabolic factors and mental health, further research involving diverse populations and accounting for potential confounders is warranted to validate and expand upon these results.

Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, board-certified interventional cardiologist, emphasized the need for caution in interpreting observational studies, noting the complexity of determining causality in such research.

"As with all observational studies, the direction of causality cannot be determined; it might be that people at risk for developing depression and anxiety have underlying physiology that [affects] metabolic changes which increase glucose and triglyceride levels," Chen reportedly said.

"The results might also be confounded by attributes such as obesity or physical inactivity that might relate both abnormal glucose/triglycerides and also the risk of developing depression and anxiety. For now, these findings highlight the complex relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and mental health."