Citation

Troisi A, D'Argenio A. J. Psychiatr. Res. 2006; 40(5): 466-472.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Guattani 14, 00161 Rome, Italy. alfonso.troisi@uniroma2.it

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2005.12.004

PMID

16455106

Abstract

Epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies have linked low or lowered cholesterol levels to aggressive behavior. However, no study has measured the relationship between aggression and apolipoprotein A-I/apolipoprotein B ratio, a robust indicator of cardiac risk. Plasma levels of total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-I, and apolipoprotein B were measured and correlated with Aggression Questionnaire ratings in 20 young adult males with personality disorders and/or a high propensity toward aggressive behavior and in 40 control subjects. Compared with the control subjects, the subjects in the aggressive group had lower levels of apo A-I and a lower apo A-I/apo B ratio. Whereas in the control subjects, higher levels of aggression were correlated with lower levels of atherogenic lipoproteins (LDL-C and apo B), in the aggressive subjects higher levels of aggression were correlated with lower levels of anti-atherogenic lipoproteins (HDL-C and apo A-I) and higher levels of LDL-C. The results of this study confirm the existence of a relationship between blood lipids and aggressive behavior in young adult males and suggest that the apo A-I/apo B ratio might be an additional marker in the search for biological correlates of increased risk of violence.

Language: en