Every year, over 10,000 people commit suicide in Brazil. Suicide is more often in people with depressive illnesses, especially women (> 18% versus 11% for males).

Researchers from the Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPel), Brazil, discovered a connection between glutathione (GSH) with the degree of suicide risk in women 18 months postpartum in a study published recently in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry. They discovered that persons with a moderate to high risk of suicide had considerably lower serum GSH levels than those who did not.

These findings show that GSH might be a biomarker or causative factor in suicidal women, with therapeutic implications.

A case-control study was embedded within a cohort study. At 18 months postpartum, 45 women were chosen from this group. Thirty were suffering from mood illnesses such as severe depression and bipolar disorder. The control group consisted of the other 15 volunteers, none of whom had a mental problem.

Depression was measured using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus (MINI-Plus 5.0.0 Brazilian edition), and the risk of suicide, was measured using modules A and C. Serum levels of the oxidative stress indicators reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, and GSH were measured in blood samples.

At 18 months postpartum, the rate of suicide risk in women was 24.4%. Suicide risk was found to be 36.7% in the mood disorder group.

Furthermore, the statistical analysis discovered that women with a moderate to high suicide risk had brain redox imbalance, which reduced blood GSH levels.

Experts stated that the association between GSH serum levels and suicide risk opens the door to two prospective applications: utilizing GSH as a biomarker for suicide risk and using GSH therapeutically.

 (Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/990552?src=)