Effects of depressive symptoms on clinical outcomes, inflammatory markers and quality of life after a significant weight loss in a bariatric surgery sample

Obesity is linked to a low-grade chronic systemic inflammation that improves after weight loss. Depressive disorder has been suggested to be associated with systemic inflammation up regulation. We aimed to explore whether, after a significant weight loss, the presence of depressive symptoms was associated with differences in terms of inflammatory markers and quality of life. Sixty patients (78.3%♀, age 46.4 ± 9.9) who underwent bariatric surgery, with a minimum follow up of 18 months, were evaluated. For the screening of depression, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered. Ten subjects (16.6%) had a positive screening for depressive disorder. The percentage of patients with weight regain was greater among subjects with symptoms of depression (70% vs. 32%; p = 0.024), although no differences were seen regarding BMI prior to surgery and current BMI. Acute phase reactants were higher among subjects with symptoms of depression: platelets (319 ± 15 x 10^12/L vs. 232 ± 47 x 10 ^ 12/L; p = 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (24.7 ± 11.3 mm vs.17 ± 10 mm; p = 0.03), fibrinogen (486 ± 107 mg/dL vs. 406 ± 66 mg/dL; p = 0.003), ferritin (106 ± 180 ng/ml vs. 34 ± 44 ng/ml; p = 0.014) and ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (0.96 ± 1.84 mg/dL vs. 0.24 ± 0.26 mg/dL; p = 0.008). All domains of quality of life were significantly lower in the depressive group. Despite a significant weight loss, inflammatory markers are greater and quality of life lower when associated with depressive symptoms.