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The following is a summary of “Association of circulating monocyte number and monocyte–lymphocyte ratio with cardiovascular disease in patients with bipolar disorder,” published in the October 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Chen et al. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of premature mortality in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Limited data exist on the role of leukocyte phenotypes in the relationship between BD and CVD. 

Researchers conducted a prospective study to evaluate the associations between circulating leukocyte subsets and CVD in patients with BD. 

They matched 109 patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD-I) and cardiologist-confirmed CVD with 109 BD-I without CVD based on age (± 2 years), sex, and date of the most recent psychiatric admission due to an acute mood episode (± 2 years). Leukocyte subset data were obtained from complete blood count tests conducted the morning after the latest acute psychiatric admission. 

The results showed that during the recent acute psychiatric hospitalization, circulating monocyte counts were significantly higher in the case group compared to age- and sex-matched controls (P=0.020), and monocyte–lymphocyte ratios (MLRs) were also elevated (P=0.032). Multiple logistic regression revealed that, in addition to serum uric acid levels and manic symptoms, circulating monocyte counts (95% CI, OR: 1.01–1.05) and MLRs (95% CI, OR: 1.01–1.09) were significantly associated with CVD in patients with BD. 

The study concluded that monocyte activation during acute manic episodes likely contributed to CVD in patients with bipolar disorder. Further research is needed on monocyte activation markers and cardiovascular indices across mood states. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06105-3