P0184 - Lipoprotein a levels in recent onset panic disorder. Relationship with clinical severity and treatment response

Abstract

It has been shown the relationship between Panic Disorder (PD) and cardiovascular mortality. Lipoprotein (a) is a well known cardiovascular risk factor. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between Lp (a) and clinical severity in Panic Disorder patients and changes related to treatment response.

Patients with recent onset Panic Disorder were recruited in the Panic Disorder Unit of Cantabria. All of them were drug naive to minimize potential confounding factors. Thereafter, patients entered in a naturalistic treatment with SSRIs and were evaluated after 8 weeks follow-up.

159 patients were included. The mean score of the CGI was of 4.2 ± 1.0 and the mean of Lp (a) levels was 25.0 ± 26.8 mg/dl. Clinical response occurred in about 80% of the patients.

There was a significant correlation between the CGI scale and the Lp (a) levels (rho: 0.208; d.f.: 147; p=0.011) at intake.

Evaluation of Lp (a) at follow up showed lower levels, without statistical significance. Only in the subgroup of patients without agoraphobia this diminution in Lp (a) was significant (p=0.047).

Conclusions:

Patients with higher scores in CGI presented higher levels of Lp (a) with a linear positive correlation between this variables. These findings could implicate Lp (a) in the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in PD.

At follow-up a trend toward decrease in Lp (a) was observed, being this reduction higher in patients without agoraphobia.

Future researches are needed to establish whether Lp (a) modifications occur at longer follow-up evaluations.