Study Finds Inverse Correlation Between Endothelial Function and Depression in PsA

Depressive symptoms appear to be related to endothelial dysfunction in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), according to a study of 50 patients published online in Frontiers in Medicine.

“If validated in longitudinal studies, this evidence would encourage a systematic research of depressive symptoms as a part of a correct assessment of cardiovascular risk in PsA,” researchers wrote, “helping to raise the effectiveness of prevention strategies.”

Because cardiovascular events are the most common cause of death in patients with PsA, and because depression—frequently associated with PsA—is an independent factor for cardiovascular risk, researchers looked at the relationship between the two in the patient population. To do so, they evaluated flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of endothelial function, along with depressive symptoms and serum cytokines in 50 consecutive patients with PsA.

FMD inversely correlated with depressive symptom severity, the study found, as well as with age, adjusted Framingham risk score, PsA duration, intensity of pain, and Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) score. Serum cytokines concentrations were not significantly related to FMD or depressive symptoms in the study cohort.

In a model adjusted for age, Framingham risk score, PsA duration, and pain intensity, depressive symptoms predicted FMD, researchers reported.

The authors called particular attention to women in the study discussion, pointing out that mood disorders have a stronger impact on cardiovascular disease risk in women in general, and that depressive symptoms are more common in women with PsA than men. Consequently, identifying depressive symptoms may be especially crucial in female patients otherwise considered at low cardiovascular risk.

“Notably,” they continued, “the relationship between depressive symptoms and FMD showed a linear trend, suggesting that evaluating the depressive status as dichotomous phenomenon (ie, depressed vs non-depressed) may eventually be inadequate in the stratification of cardiovascular risk.”

Reference:
De Lorenzis E, Di Giorgio A, Natalello G, et al. Depression and Endothelial Dysfunction in Psoriatic Arthritis: Is There Any Possible Relationship? Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:669397. Published 2021 Aug 27. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.669397