Major depression recurrence is associated with differences in obesity-related traits in women, but not in men

Obesity-related cardiometabolic comorbidity is common in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, sex differences and MDD recurrence may modify the MDD-obesity-link. Sex-specific associations of MDD recurrence (single [MDD ] or recurrent episodes [MDD ]) and obesity-related traits were analyzed in 4.100 adults (51.6% women) from a cross-sectional population-based cohort in Germany (SHIP-Trend-0). DSM-IV-based lifetime MDD diagnoses and MDD recurrence status were obtained through diagnostic interviews. Obesity-related outcomes included anthropometrics (weight, body mass index, waist- and hip-circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio), bioelectrical impedance analysis of body fat mass and fat-free mass, and subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from abdominal magnetic resonance imaging. Sex-stratified linear regression models predicting obesity-related traits from MDD recurrence status were adjusted for age, education, and current depressive symptoms. 790 participants (19.3%) fulfilled lifetime MDD criteria (23.8% women vs. 14.5% men, p