Depression in vascular pathologies: the neurologist's point of view

Portal Vein Thrombosis Is Associated with an Increased Incidence of Depression and Anxiety Disorders

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a severe disease that adversely affects patients' well-being. Data on the influence of PVT on the occurrence of depression or anxiety disorders are lacking. This study aimed to explore the impact of PVT on the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders diagnoses in a large German primary care cohort over a ten-year period. Patients with PVT were matched to non-PVT individuals by age, sex, yearly consultation frequency, index year and comorbidities in a 1:5 ratio. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence of depression and anxiety disorders. The relationship between PVT and both depression and anxiety disorders was investigated using Cox regression models. We compared 547 patients with PVT with 2735 matched individuals without PVT. Within 5 years of the index date, 17.4% of patients with PVT and 9.3% of non-PVT individuals were diagnosed with depression (p < 0.001). Anxiety disorders were diagnosed in 5.5% and 3.0% of patients with PVT and non-PVT individuals, respectively (p = 0.002). On regression analyses, PVT was positively associated with incident depression (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.53-2.64, p < 0.001) as well as anxiety disorders (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.35-3.46, p = 0.001). Regarding depression, this association remained significant in women as well as in men. There was no association between PVT and the incidence of anxiety disorders in women. In conclusion, PVT is associated with the development of depression and anxiety disorders. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings before definitive recommendations can be made.

Link between depression and cardiovascular diseases due to epigenomics and proteomics: Focus on energy metabolism

Major depression is the most common mental disorder and a leading cause of years lived with disability. In addition to the burden attributed to depressive symptoms and reduced daily life functioning, people with major depression are at increased risk of premature mortality, particularly due to cardiovascular diseases. Several studies point to a bi-directional relation between major depression and cardiovascular diseases, thereby indicating that both diseases may share common pathophysiological pathways. These include lifestyle factors (e.g. physical activity, smoking behavior), dysfunctions of endocrine systems (e.g. hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal axis), and a dysbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors. Furthermore, recent research point to the role of epigenomic and proteomic factors, that are reviewed here with a particular focus on the mitochondrial energy metabolism.

Direct and indirect effects of psychopharmacological treatment on the cardiovascular system

Background Severe mental disorders, i.e. psychotic disorders, unipolar and bipolar disorders are associated with increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The underlying cause of this association is complex and comprises disorder specific alterations such as dysfunctions of immunological and hormonal systems, body-composition changes and health associated behaviors (smoking, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol intake and treatment compliance). Furthermore, some psychopharmacological drugs may exert unwanted side effects that impact the cardiovascular system. Methods This paper reviews studies concerning commonly used antidepressant and antipsychotics drugs with a particular focus on direct and indirect cardiovascular side effects. Results Newer antidepressant drugs have a favorable cardiovascular safety profile compared to tricyclic antidepressants. However, QTc prolongation, increased blood pressure and potentially higher risks of bleeding have been observed in some newer antidepressants. Some second generation (atypical) antipsychotics have raised concern because of indirect cardiovascular, metabolic side effects such as weight gain and disturbances in lipid and glucose metabolism. Conclusions Psychiatrists need to be aware of potential direct and indirect cardiovascular side effects and to include them in the risk/benefit assessment when choosing a specific individualized treatment.

Gender peculiarities of the risk of cardiovascular diseases in a population with symptoms of depression in Siberia (the WHO MONICA-psychosocial program)

Aim. To identify gender differences in the prevalence of depression in an open population of individuals aged 25—64 years and to evaluate its impact on the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the population of Siberia. Subjects and methods. A random representative sample of a 25—64-year-old Novosibirsk population (657 men and 689 women) was surveyed within the framework of the third screening of the WHO MONICA-psychosocial program in 1994. The screening program included sociodemographic data registration and depression detection. Over a 16-year study period, women had myocardial infarction (MI) in 15 cases and stroke in 35 cases and men had these conditions in 30 and 22 cases, respectively. Results. In the open 25—64-year-old population, depression was detected in 54.5% of the women and in 29% of the men; major depression was present in 11.8% of the women and 3.1% of the men (χ2=66.724; υ=2; p=0.0001). The risk of MI in the depressed patients was higher in the women (hazard ratio (HR)=2.5) than in the men (HR=2); when social parameters and age are included in the model, only a trend towards the impact of depression on the risk of MI persisted in the women (HR=3.4; p>0.05) and the men were observed to have a 1.6-fold higher risk for MI. The greatest risk of MI was seen in the men (HR=6.8) and women (HR=6.3) at the age of 55—64 years, as well as in the men who had incomplete secondary or primary education (HR=3.2); in blue-collar workers (HR=6.7), in the men who were single (HR=3.6), divorced (HR=4.5), or widowed (HR=6). The risk of stroke in the depressed patients during a 16-year study period was greater in the men (HR=5.8) than in the women (HR=4.6); after adjusting for age and social gradient, the risk of stroke in the women was higher in both the population and those who were aged 55—64 years (HR=8.5 and 6.9, respectively) than that in the men (HR=4.2 and 3.1, respectively). Among the men, the risk of stroke was higher in those who had primary education (HR=8.8), were widowed (HR=8.4) or divorced (HR=2.7). Conclusion. The women are much more susceptible to depression than are the men. The risk of MI with depression is higher in the women than in the men; at the same time, the risk of stroke is higher in the men than in the women. The picture is opposite in the older age group. The risk of CVD in the depressed men is exacerbated by a social gradient; these relationships have not been revealed in the women.

Depressive symptoms and cardiovascular burden-related mortality among the aged

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms have been linked to increased cardiovascular mortality among the elderly. This study was aimed to test the independent and additive predictive value of depressive symptoms and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a marker of direct cardiovascular stress and a strong predictor of mortality, together with traditional cardiovascular risk markers on total and cardiovascular mortalities in a general elderly population.

METHODS

A total of 508 subjects aged 75 or older participated in the study. The prognostic capacity of depressive symptoms and BNP in regard to total and cardiovascular mortalities was assessed with Cox regression analyses. Depressive symptoms were handled as a dichotomous variable based on the Zung self-rated depression scale score with a cut-off point of 40.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 84 months with an interquartile range of 36-99 months. Depressive symptoms reflected susceptibility to all-cause (HR 1·60; 95% CI 1·26-2·04) and cardiovascular mortalities (HR 1·81; 95% CI 1·30-2·52) only in univariable analyses. When cardiovascular illnesses and risk markers were taken into account, depressive symptoms lost their significance as an independent predictor of mortality. BNP as a continuous variable was a significant predictor of both all-cause (HR 1·44; 95% CI 1·22-1·69) and cardiovascular mortalities (HR 1·79; 95% CI 1·44-2·22) in fully adjusted models including depressive symptoms as a covariate.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognostic capacity of depressive symptoms is closely linked to cardiovascular morbidity and has no independent power in an elderly general population. BNP remains a strong harbinger of death regardless of depressive symptoms status.

Time course of depression and one-year prognosis of patients with stroke in mainland China

AIMS

To investigate the incidence of depression at different time points within the first year after stroke in mainland China and to identify risk factors related to a poor 1-year prognosis in stroke patients.

METHODS

Subjects with acute cerebrovascular diseases were recruited and enrolled from 56 hospitals in mainland China between April 2008 and April 2010. Demographic data, previous disease history, and clinical data were collected. Four follow-up visits were occurred within the first year after stroke. The modified Rankin Scale ≥ 2 represents an unfavorable prognosis. Depression was diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition and was divided into persistent, recurrent and transient types.

RESULTS

The 1-year cumulative incidence of depression in stroke patients was 41.8%. Logistic regression analysis showed that the 1-year prognosis level was associated with age, disability before onset, neurological functional deficit level at admission, and a range of depression types. The odds ratio for persistent depression is the highest (OR = 7.615, P < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval 5.011-11.572).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, depression occurred in >40% of patients within the first year after stroke. Persistent depression is the first independent determinant of prognosis during the first year after stroke.

The burden of depression in patients with symptomatic varicose veins

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the burden and impact of depression in patients with symptomatic varicose veins.

METHODS

Patients with varicose veins referred to the vascular surgeons for further management, were invited to complete a validated questionnaire relating to quality of life, using the Aberdeen Varicose Veins Questionnaire (AVVQ), EuroQol-5D questionnaire (EQ-5D) and the EuroQol-Visual Analogue Score (EQ-VAS); and depressive symptoms, using the Centre of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Social, demographic, clinical (CEAP classification, venous clinical severity score (VCSS)) and venous disability score (VDS) data was also collected.

RESULTS

One hundred patients, mean age 52.7 years (63 females; 37 males) were recruited. Twenty-nine per cent of patients with varicose veins had depression scores suggestive of depression; no patient had previously been diagnosed or was on treatment. Depression scores were not influenced by age (p = 0.30) or gender (p = 0.60); and there was no correlation between depression scores and VCSS (p = 0.07, r2 = 0.034), or between VDS groups 1, 2 or 3 (p = 0.75). There was a weak correlation between depression scores and AVVQ (p = 0.0009, r2 = 0.12) and depression scores and EQ-5D (p < 0.0001, r2 = 0.32) and EQ-VAS (p < 0.0001, r2 = 0.25).

CONCLUSION

Depression is prevalent in patients with symptomatic varicose veins, where it is commonly undiagnosed and untreated. A more holistic approach to patients with venous disease is therefore advocated.