Association between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular diseases in the Korean geriatric population: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Introduction: Depression has emerged as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, evidence on whether depressive symptoms measured using a self-report questionnaire are associated with CVD incidence is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and CVD risk using data from national health examinations and insurance claim records. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included participants who underwent the Korean National Screening Program for Transitional Ages at age 66 years between 2007 and 2017. The presence of depressive symptoms was defined as affirmative responses to any of three questions (loss of activities and interests, worthlessness, and hopelessness) selected from the Geriatric Depression Scale. Incident composite CVD event included myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and CVD death. The association between depressive symptoms and CVD risk was evaluated using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) estimated with Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among 88,765 participants (48.5 % women) aged 66 years, 4036 incident CVD events occurred during a mean follow-up of 6.8 years. Participants with depressive symptoms had a significantly higher risk of CVD than those without depressive symptoms (adjusted HR = 1.16 [95 % CI: 1.07–1.24]). The three individual depressive symptoms showed similar associations with CVD risk (loss of activities and interests, adjusted HR = 1.17 [95 % CI: 1.08–1.26]; worthlessness, 1.15 [1.03–1.29]; hopelessness, 1.13 [1.01–1.26]). Limitations: The study was limited to participants aged 66 years. Despite extensive adjustment for potential confounders and multiple sensitivity analyses, residual confounding and reverse causality could not be ruled out. Conclusion: The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with an increased risk of CVD. Screening for depressive symptoms in the general population may effectively mitigate the burden of CVD.