Salivary aldosterone, salt craving and depression severity – a correlative analysis

Preliminary evidence point to an involvement of aldosterone in the pathogenesis of depression and regulates salt appetite (Murck et al., 2012). Salt appetite could be a functional marker of central mineralocorticoid (MR) function. 14 Patents were examined 3 times during their clinical stay, at baseline, 2 weeks and finally after 6 weeks after baseline or at discharge, respectively. For aldosterone measurement salvia samples were taken immediately after awakening. Patients then had to evaluate the taste of 0.9% NaCl in a cotton swab with two 11 point likert scales: to determine 1. subjective salt taste intensity (STI); 2. pleasantness of taste (SP). Patients completed the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) for the determination of the severity of depression. For this preliminary analysis all time points were pooled for correlative analysis. Aldosterone concentration correlated negative with STI (p < 0.05) and correlated by trend with salt pleasantness (SP) STI and SP correlated negatively (p < 0.05). The QIDS score correlated positively with SP (p < 0.05) and saliva aldosterone concentration (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between systolic blood pressure and any of these parameters. The results are in line with the hypothesis that aldosterone induces salt craving and depressive symptoms in patients with depression. Murck H et al., Pharmacopsychiatry, 2012, 45: 83 – 95.