Article

Chronic stress frequently manifests with anxiety and/or depressive
symptomatology and may have detrimental cardiometabolic effects over time. As
such, recognising the potential links between stress-related psychological
disorders and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is becoming increasingly important in
cardiovascular epidemiology research. The primary aim of this study was to
explore prospectively potential associations between clinically relevant
depressive symptomatology and anxiety levels and the 10-year CVD incidence among
apparently healthy Greek adults. Design A population-based, health and nutrition
prospective survey. Methods In the context of the ATTICA Study (2002-2012), 853
adult participants without previous CVD history (453 men (45 +/- 13 years) and
400 women (44 +/- 18 years)) underwent psychological evaluations through
validated, self-reporting depression and anxiety questionnaires. Results After
adjustment for multiple established CVD risk factors, both reported depression
and anxiety levels were positively and independently associated with the 10-year
CVD incidence, with depression markedly increasing the CVD risk by approximately
fourfold (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 3.6 (1.3, 11) for
depression status; 1.03
(1.0, 1.1) for anxiety levels). Conclusions Our findings
indicate that standardised psychological assessments focusing on depression and
anxiety should be considered as an additional and distinct aspect in the context
of CVD preventive strategies that are designed and implemented by health
authorities at the general population level.

Langue : ANGLAIS