Exploring the link between heart health and depression
CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide, and as you get older your risk of developing it increases dramatically. It seems logical that dealing with poor heart health might cause depression in the sufferer. In fact, CVD and depression are believed to be closely related since they have similar risk factors, such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Although studies have shown that depression could be a risk factor for CVD, there has been very little research exploring the opposite – that is, whether cardiovascular risk (CVR) increases the risk of developing depression. A study published in the journal ‘PLOS ONE’ now reports that in older adults CVR factors are indeed associated with a higher risk of depression. In other words, older people with such risk factors are more likely to become depressed than adults with lower cardiac risk. Improving cardiovascular health could therefore prevent depression in the elderly. This research is described in the August 2022 article ‘Research round-up: depression’ published in the journal ‘Nature’. The study used data from a 6-year multi-centre trial conducted as part of the EU-funded PREDIMED PLUS project, of which the Instituto Carlos III is principal sponsor. This is a European Research Council project under which co-author Prof. Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, of the University of Navarre, Spain, has received funding. In addition to support from PREDIMED PLUS, the study also received partial funding from the EU-backed Eat2beNICE and PRIME projects, among other institutions. The team sought to determine the association between CVR factors and depression in overweight or obese men and women aged 55-75 and 60-75, respectively. Over 6 500 people with no CVD, neurological or endocrine diseases at baseline were included in the study. Participants were placed into three CVR groups – low, medium, and high or very high – based on factors such as their cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar levels and smoking habits. Their cardiovascular and mental health was then tracked for 2 years.
Risk factors identified
The ‘Nature’ article reports the following results: “Data analysis identified several cardiovascular risk factors that were highly predictive of depression. Total cholesterol of 280 or higher was linked to a 31% increased risk of depression, and a diastolic blood-pressure reading of 100 or higher conferred a 50% increased risk. Furthermore, people with diabetes were 39% more likely to be depressed than those without diabetes.” The news was also not very positive for women, in whom the association between cardiac risk factors and depression was strongest. Women in the high cardiac risk group were found to be “78% more likely to develop depression than were those in the low-risk group,” according to the article. After following a Mediterranean diet for 2 years as part of the trial, participants on average had lower depression levels, with the biggest decreases observed in medium- and high-risk individuals with high cholesterol levels at baseline. The researchers therefore concluded that lowering the risks of CVD can improve symptoms of depression in the elderly. In May 2022, study co-author Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Principal Coordinator and Chair of the PREDIMED-Plus Steering Committee, received the International Award for Excellence in Research from the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council. Besides leading the PREDIMED PLUS (Long-term effects of an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet on mortality and cardiovascular disease: the PREDIMED PLUS Study) trial, Prof. Salas-Salvadó is also involved in the Eat2beNICE (Effects of Nutrition and Lifestyle on Impulsive, Compulsive, and Externalizing behaviours) and PRIME (Prevention and Remediation of Insulin Multimorbidity in Europe) projects. For more information, please see: PREDIMED PLUS project website Eat2beNICE project website PRIME project website
Keywords
PREDIMED PLUS, Eat2beNICE, PRIME, cardiovascular disease, CVD, depression, cardiovascular risk, mental health
