Low cholesterol level as a risk marker of inpatient and post-discharge violence in acute psychiatry : a prospective study with a focus on gender differences

Several studies indicate an association between low levels of serum cholesterol and aggressive behaviour, but prospective studies are scarce. In this naturalistic prospective inpatient and post-discharge study from an acute psychiatric ward, we investigated total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as risk markers of violence. From March 21, 2012, to March 20, 2013, 158 men and 204 women were included. TC and HDL were measured at admission. Violence was recorded during hospital stay and for the first 3 months post-discharge. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to estimate associations between low TC and low HDL and violence. Results showed that HDL level was significantly inversely associated with violence during hospital stay for all patients. For men, but not for women, HDL level was significantly inversely associated with violence the first 3 months post-discharge. Results indicate that low HDL is a risk marker for inpatient and post-discharge violence in acute psychiatry and also suggest gender differences in HDL as a risk marker for violence.