The relationship between recurrent major depression (MD) in women and suicidality is complex. We investigated the extent to which patients who suffered with various forms of suicidal symptomatology can be distinguished from those subjects without such symptoms.

We examined the clinical features of the worst episode in 1970 Han Chinese women with recurrent DSM-IV MD between the ages of 30 and 60 years from across China. Student's t tests, and logistic and multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between suicidality and other clinical features of MD.

Suicidal symptomatology is significantly associated with a more severe form of MD, as indexed by both the number of episodes and number of MD symptoms. Patients reporting suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts experienced a significantly greater number of stressful life events. The depressive symptom most strongly associated with lifetime suicide attempt was feelings of worthlessness (odds ratio 4.25, 95% confidence interval 2.9–6.3). Excessive guilt, diminished concentration and impaired decision-making were also significantly associated with a suicide attempt.

This study contributes to the existing literature on risk factors for suicidal symptomatology in depressed women. Identifying specific depressive symptoms and co-morbid psychiatric disorders may help improve the clinical assessment of suicide risk in depressed patients. These findings could be helpful in identifying those who need more intense treatment strategies in order to prevent suicide.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma is a ligand-dependent transcription factor with an important role in insulin resistance and obesity. We investigated the associations between the Pro12Ala polymorphism of this receptor, obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome and hyperlipidaemia risk factors, in a Chinese cohort.

We recruited 420 obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome patients and 190 healthy controls. Genetic analysis was conducted by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The hyperlipidaemia risk in both the study and control groups was analysed.

Comparison of genotype and allele frequencies revealed no significant differences between patients and controls (p > 0.05). In patients, there was no correlation between genotype and clinical parameters (p > 0.05), apart from a significant association between the Ala12 allele and hyperlipidaemia (odds ratio = 2.181; p = 0.017; 95 per cent confidence interval = 1.133–4.198).

In this Chinese cohort, the Pro12Ala polymorphism of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma was not associated with obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome, but was associated with increased hyperlipidaemia risk.