Increase of visceral fat and adrenal gland volume in women with depression: preliminary results of a morphometric MRI study.

OBJECTIVE

Depression is often accompanied by increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT), stress, enlarged adrenal glands, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. VAT turn-over is regulated by adrenal stress hormones such as cortisol. Aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the adrenal volume as a marker for long-term stress and the volume fractions of several body fat compartments in healthy and depressive women.

METHODS

Ten depressive and 12 healthy women were investigated. Fat compartments (VAT, VAT in the upper abdomen, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT), and adrenal volume) were measured by MRI.

RESULTS

Depressive women revealed more VAT in the upper abdomen than the healthy. There was a significant correlation of age and Body Mass Index (BMI) with the visceral adipose tissue volume and adrenal gland size. In a partial correlation, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was correlated with VAT in the upper abdomen (r = 0.45, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The increase of adrenal volume and VAT and the correlation of BDI with VAT in the upper abdomen support the hypothesis of long-term production of stress hormones in depression. This study is a further step toward describing morphologic substrates of depression in endocrine organs.