Depression and Metabolic Syndrome: Two Sides of the Same Coin

This aim of this review was to examine the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression, which is complex and multifaceted with many inter-related factors includinggenetics, lifestylefactors, environmentalfactorsand other psychological factors at play. There is some evidence to suggest that depression may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease through its association with MetS. It has also been suggested that depressive symptoms may be a consequence rather than the cause of the MetS, as obesity and dyslipidemia have been shown as predictive of depressive symptoms. Thus, the relationship between MetS and depression seems to be a two-way street and bi-directional just as the two sides of the same coin.