Higher total cholesterol level is associated with suicidal ideation in first-episode schizophrenia females.

There are inconsistent reports showing that the relationship between total cholesterol (TC) level and suicidality might be gender-specific. We compared 30 first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients reporting suicidal ideation based on the Operational Criteria for Psychotic Illness (OPCRIT) checklist with 70 FES patients, who have never experienced suicidal ideation. After controlling for potential confounders, higher TC was associated with suicidal ideation only in FES females. Future studies should disentangle biological underpinnings of this gender-specific association.