Longitudinal association between chronic psychological stress and metabolic syndrome

Background: Psychological stress and depressive symptoms are variables associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Aim: To determine the longitudinal association between psychological stress, depressive symptoms and MetS, and whether these variables predict MetS and its component trajectories. Material and Methods: Four hundred and twenty-three participants aged 44 +/- 9 years (59% women), free of cardiovascular disease at baseline were enrolled into the Chilean study of psychological stress, obesity and MetS. Participants were followed-up for three years (three waves). Each year, they completed psychological questionnaires, anthropometric variables were measured, and blood samples were obtained. Results: Hierarchical linear regression showed that chronic psychological stress at baseline predicted the total number of MetS components (MetS score) during the third assessment wave (beta = 0.147; p < 0.01). Growth curve modeling allowed to determine that participants who scored +1 standard deviation (SD) at baseline over the mean in psychological stress (beta(chronic stress) = 0.903; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.065; 1.741), and depressive symptoms (beta(depressive symptoms) = 2.482; 95% CI = 0.040; 4.923) had a higher waist circumference trajectory, as compared to those scoring -1 SD above the mean. Conclusions: Chronic psychological stress is longitudinally associated with the MetS score. Further, psychological stress and depressive symptoms at baseline predicted elevated MetS score trajectories, and a highest waist circumference.