Current Depression Associated With Increased Cardiovascular Risk

Primary care patients with current depression had significantly higher cardiovascular risk compared with patients with controlled depression and patients without depression, according to study findings published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

“Pathways to prevent cardiovascular disease in those with depression might focus on treating depressive symptoms as well as specific uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors,” wrote researchers from HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The retrospective study included 70,980 patients in Minnesota and Wisconsin who had a primary care encounter and completed a depression screening sometime during the 12 months before their primary care appointment. Researchers categorized patients into 3 groups: current depression (those with a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] score of 10 or higher), controlled depression (those with a PHQ-9 score below 10 but with a previous depression diagnosis), and no depression (those with a PHQ-9 score below 10 and no depression diagnosis).

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Adjusted analyses revealed that both 10-year and 30-year cardiovascular risk were significantly elevated in patients with current depression compared with patients with controlled depression and patients without depression. According to the study, odds ratios for 30-year risk for cardiovascular events with current depression were 1.32 compared with patients with controlled depression and 1.56 compared with patients without depression.

Patients with current depression also showed the highest likelihood across several specific cardiovascular risk factors, with the exception of low-density lipoprotein. According to Psychiatry Advisor coverage, patients with current depression were more likely to have a current diagnosis of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease and had significantly higher triglycerides than patients with controlled or no depression.

“Current depression was further associated with higher BMI [body mass index], greater odds of current smoking, and greater odds of a current diabetes mellitus diagnosis,” Psychiatry Advisor reported.
 

References

Hooker SA, O'Connor PJ, Sperl-Hillen JM, et al. Depression and cardiovascular risk in primary care patients. J Psychosom Res. 2022;158:110920. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110920

Pond E. Depression symptoms associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. Psychiatry Advisor. June 1, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022.