High cardiovascular risk linked to depression symptoms, says study
Washington, April 14: Cardiovascular risk factors are closely associated with a high risk of depression in older adults, suggested a new study.
The study led by Sandra Martin-Pelaez from the University of Granada, Spain, and his colleagues is published in the open-access journal 'PLOS ONE'.
Cardiovascular disease and depression are believed to be closely linked due to similar risk factors, including inflammation and oxidative stress. Even though it has been shown that depression could be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, researches analysing the potential impact of cardiovascular health on developing depression are scarce.
In the new research, the team used data from an ongoing 6-year multi-centre randomized trial in Spain that examines the effect of a Mediterranean Diet on men aged 55-75 and women aged 60-75 with overweight or obesity. 6,545 individuals with no cardiovascular or endocrine disease at baseline were included in the current study.
A cardiovascular risk score, as per the Framingham-based REGICOR function, was calculated for each person, classifying participants into low (LR), medium (MR), or high/very high (HR) cardiovascular risk groups. Depressive status was examined using a questionnaire at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up.
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At baseline, women in the HR group had a greater risk of depression than women in the LR group (OR 1.78 95 per cent CI 1.26-2.50). Furthermore, among all patients with baseline total cholesterol levels less than 160 mg/mL, MR and HR individuals had a greater risk of depression than LR (MR: OR 1.77 95 per cent CI 1.13-2.77; HR: OR 2.83 95 per cent CI 1.25-6.42).
Meanwhile, among participants with total cholesterol of 280 mg/mL or higher, MR and HR participants had a lower risk of depression than LR (MR: OR 0.26 95 per cent CI 0.07-0.98; HR: OR 0.23 95 per cent CI 0.05-0.95).
After two years, during which time all trial participants were told to follow a Mediterranean Diet, participants' depressive state scores dropped on average, with the highest declines noted in MR and HR participants with high baseline cholesterol levels.
According to the authors, high and very high cardiovascular risks are connected with depressive symptoms, particularly in women, and the significance of other factors, such as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, deserves exploratory research.
"High cardiovascular risk, especially in women, is associated with symptoms of depression in the elderly," the authors concluded.
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-PTC News
