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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1453044

A study investigating how the albumin-globulin ratio relates to depression risk within U.S. adults: a cross-sectional analysis

Provisionally accepted
Qi Xu Qi Xu 1,2*Jiale Wang Jiale Wang 3Hanzhi Li Hanzhi Li 2Xiaohui Chen Xiaohui Chen 4
  • 1 Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
  • 2 First Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Medical College, Nanyang, China
  • 3 Nanjing Jiangning Hospital, Nanjing, Liaoning Province, China
  • 4 Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The relationship between the albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) and depression is not well understood. This analysis aims to investigate the relationship between AGR in conjunction with depression in U.S. adults.Methods: This study analyzed information from 31,363 individuals collected by NHANES during the years 2005 to 2018. The PHQ-9 scale was employed to gauge depression, where a score of 10 or above signified depression. Weighted multivariable logistic modeling along with smooth curve fitting were applied to explore the AGR-depression connection. To confirm our findings, we carried out sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses, and interaction tests.After adjusting for confounding variables, a higher AGR is associated with a lower risk of depression (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.47-0.79). Dividing AGR into quartiles revealed that participants in the highest quartile (Q4) of AGR had a markedly lower risk of depression than those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.53-0.77). Using smooth curve fitting, we suggested a possible linear inverse association connecting AGR with depression. Further subgroup and sensitivity analyses supported these findings, although factors such as diabetes and hypertension might influence the relationship.Our findings indicate that elevated AGR levels correlate with a lower risk of depression. The findings suggest AGR as a potential biomarker for depression screening and prevention. Further studies are required to determine causality and clarify the mechanisms between AGR and depression.

    Keywords: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey1, depression2, Albumin-toglobulin ratio3, chronic inflammation4, Adults5

    Received: 22 Jun 2024; Accepted: 02 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xu, Wang, Li and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Qi Xu, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.