Depression may not be a risk factor for mortality in stroke patients with nonsurgical treatment: A retrospective case-controlled study

Effect of Major Depressive Disorder on Stroke Risk and Mortality: A Systematic Review

This study aimed to systematically review the available data on major depressive disorder (MDD) and provide insight into how it may affect stroke risk and mortality. We conducted this systematic review drawing upon research published between July 2002 and July 2022 from the following databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. After eliminating duplicates, screening the title and abstract, determining eligibility, and quality assessment, eight articles were left for utilization in this systematic review (one meta-analysis and seven non-randomized studies). There was a potentially significant association between MDD and stroke risk and mortality. The apparent connection between MDD and stroke has medical and public health relevance, given the high incidence, prevalence, and financial burden of MDD and stroke in the general populace. Therefore, it is imperative that further studies are conducted to confirm and validate this association between MDD and stroke while also elucidating the mechanism involved, investigating potential variables influencing this association, and contrasting MDD with conventional stroke risk factors to determine its predictive usefulness in comparison to traditional risk factors. This will have a significant effect on clinical practice since the information provided by such research will help guide essential targets for stroke prevention.

Depression and Diabetes Mellitus Multimorbidity Is Associated With Loss of Independence and Dementia Poststroke

Background and Purpose:

Many patients with ischemic stroke present with multiple comorbidities that threaten survival and recovery. This study sought to determine the risks of adverse long-term stroke outcomes associated with multimorbid diabetes mellitus and depression.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on consecutive patients without premorbid dementia admitted from the community for a first-ever acute ischemic stroke to comprehensive stroke centers across Ontario, Canada (2003–2013). Premorbid histories of diabetes mellitus and depression were ascertained within 5 years before stroke admission. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR [95% CI]) of admission to long-term care, incident dementia, readmission for stroke or transient ischemic attack and all-cause mortality, over time among those discharged back into the community poststroke.

Results:

Among 23 579 stroke admissions, n=20 201 were discharged back into the community. Diabetes mellitus and depression were associated with synergistic hazards of admission to long-term care (X 2 =5.4; P =0.02) over a median follow-up of 5.6 years. This interaction was observed among women specifically; depression multimorbidity showed particularly high hazards of admission to long-term care (aHR Depression =1.57 [1.24–1.98]) and incident dementia (aHR Depression =1.85 [1.40–2.44]) among women with diabetes mellitus. In the whole cohort, diabetes mellitus and depression were associated individually with long-term care admission (aHR Diabetes =1.20 [1.12–1.29]; aHR Depression =1.19 [1.04–1.37]), incident dementia (aHR Diabetes =1.14 [1.06–1.23]; aHR Depression =1.27 [1.08–1.49]), stroke/transient ischemic attack readmission (aHR Diabetes =1.18 [1.10–1.26]; aHR Depression =1.24 [1.07–1.42]), and all-cause mortality (aHR Diabetes =1.29 [1.23–1.36]; aHR Depression =1.16 [1.05–1.29]).

Conclusions:

The risks of dementia and needing long-term care in the years after surviving a stroke were particularly elevated among women when premorbid diabetes mellitus and depression occurred together. Long-term stroke recovery strategies might target high-risk patients with mood and metabolic multimorbidity.