SynthesisBrain and behavior2021
Fat compartments in patients with depression: A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Brain and behavior, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Abdominal Visceral Adipose Tissue and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Pooled it
- Fat compartments in patients with depression: A meta-analysis.Brain and behavior · 2021Pooled it
- Cross sectional analyses indicated that body fat distribution was not associated with performance-based and self-reported outcomes among ambulatory people with multiple sclerosis.Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · 2026Article
- Association Between Visceral Adipose Tissue and Depression Risk With Both Observational and Genetic Evidence.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Mediating effects of physical activity, BMI, and dietary iron intake on the relationship between depression and chronic headaches.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Neutrophil-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) mediates the relationship between abdominal fat index and depression in a cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Effect of Visceral Adipose Tissue on Major Depressive Disorder: A Mendelian Randomisation Research.Actas espanolas de psiquiatria · 2025Article
- High Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Sarcopenia and Metabolic Syndrome in Outpatients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Article
- Major Depression as a Catalyst for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Insights From a Comprehensive Mendelian Randomization Study.Canadian journal of gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025Article
- The relationship between brain structure volumes, depressive symptoms and body composition in obese/overweight and normal-/underweight women.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- The Association between Sarcopenic Obesity and DXA-Derived Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) in Adults.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Twelve-month outcomes in overweight/obese users with mental disorders following a multi-element treatment including diet, physical activity, and positive thinking: The real-world "An Apple a Day" controlled trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Bioimpedance Body Measures and Serum Lipid Levels in Masculine Depression.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Adipose Tissue Compartments, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Risk in the Context of Depression.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Review
- Depression Associated with Reduced Heart Rate Variability Predicts Outcome in Adult Congenital Heart Disease.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDepressive disorders are a common illness worldwide. Major depression is known as a significant predictor of the metabolic syndrome. However, the effects of depression on adipose tissue compartments are controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the state of research on the relationship between patients with depression and adipose tissue compartments as compared to nondepressed individuals.
methodsThe PubMed database was searched for human studies that measured adipose tissue compartments such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and/or organ-specific adipose tissue measurements using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan and reported the means and a measure of variance separately for depressed individuals and healthy controls. Twelve articles were identified, including a total of 1,141 depressed and 2,545 nondepressed individuals.
resultsMajor depressive disorder and self-reported depressive symptoms were associated with elevated visceral adipose tissue and elevated subcutaneous adipose tissue. Subanalyses for gender, age, method of adipose tissue measurement, and method of depression assessment showed elevated visceral adipose in depressed individuals. The results could be replicated when focussing on studies controlling for body mass index (BMI). Regarding other adipose tissue compartments, meta-analysis could not be carried out due to lack of studies.
conclusionsDepression is associated with enlarged visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Further, especially longitudinal, research is needed to identify the mechanism through which depressive disorders contribute to visceral adiposity.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.