DENVER – Increased risk of coronary heart disease is significantly associated with stronger symptoms of depression in diabetic adults, Susan M. Barry-Bianchi, Ph.D., reported in a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.
Dr. Barry-Bianchi of the Behavioural Cardiology Research Unit at the University Health Network in Toronto, and her colleagues recruited 353 patients for the study from an ongoing investigation, the Community Outreach and Health Risk Reduction Trial. The average patient age was 56 years.
The average score on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was 11.1 among the 184 patients at high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), compared with 8.8 among the 169 patients at low risk for CHD, Dr. Barry-Bianchi wrote. The 10-year absolute risk for CHD was nearly 22% for high-risk patients and 9% for the low-risk patients. CHD risk for each patient was determined using the Framingham index.
Given the significant difference in the depression levels based on the risk for developing heart disease, depression and CHD risk should be evaluated jointly, when investigating morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients, the investigators suggested. They also suggested that treatment of CHD risk factors in diabetic patients may correspond with a reduction in depressive symptoms and improved overall health.
In addition, the results supported previous findings of increased depression among women and patients with low levels of emotional support. Women demonstrated a significantly higher average BDI score, compared with men (11.4 vs. 8.4). Patients with low reported levels of emotional support demonstrated a significantly higher average BDI score, compared with those who reported more support (12 vs. 8).