A new study has found a link between cardiovascular risk factors and depression. The crucial findings of the study led by Sandra Martin-Pelaez from the University of Granada, Spain, and his colleagues were published in the open-access journal ‘PLOS ONE’.
According to scientists, cardiovascular disease and depression are considered to be closely related due to similar dangerous symptoms, including inflammation and oxidative stress. Although it has been revealed that depression could be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, the studies analysing the potential impact of cardiovascular health on developing depression are rare.
In this new study, the team of scientists used data from an ongoing 6-year multi-centre randomized trial in Spain which examined the effect of a Mediterranean Diet on men aged 55-75 and women aged 60-75 with overweight or obesity. Over 6,000 individuals with no cardiovascular or endocrine disease at baseline were included in the current analysis, as reported by ANI.
According to the Framingham-based REGICOR function, a cardiovascular risk score was calculated for each person, dividing participants into low (LR), medium (MR), or high/very high (HR) cardiovascular risk groups. Meanwhile, depressive status was decided using a questionnaire at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up examinations.
The findings of the study highlighted that women in the HR group showed higher odds of depressive status than LR women (OR 1.78 95 percent CI 1.26-2.50) at baseline. Additionally, among all participants with baseline total cholesterol below 160 mg/mL, MR and HR individuals demonstrated higher odds of depression than LR (MR: OR 1.77 95 percent CI 1.13-2.77; HR: OR 2.83 95 percent CI 1.25-6.42).
Meanwhile, among participants with total cholesterol of 280 mg/mL or higher, MR and HR individuals had a lower risk of depression than LR (MR: OR 0.26 95 percent CI 0.07-0.98; HR: OR 0.23 95 percent CI 0.05-0.95).
The scientists also claimed in their study that after two years, on average, patients decreased their depressive status score, with the greatest decreases seen for MR and HR participants with high baseline cholesterol levels.
The researchers stated that “high” and “very high cardiovascular risks” are associated with depressive symptoms, especially in women. They also maintained that there is a need to do in-depth research on the role of other factors, such as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. The authors concluded, “High cardiovascular risk, especially in women, is associated with symptoms of depression in the elderly.”
