Depressive Symptoms and Subclinical Markers of Cardiovascular Disease in Adolescents

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health 2011-06, Vol.48 (6), p.579-584
• Main Authors: Dietz, Laura J., Ph.D, Matthews, Karen A., Ph.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity; Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - physiopathology; Cardiovascular Diseases - psychology; Carotid Artery, Common - diagnostic imaging; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; Elasticity; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart rate; Hostility; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Pediatrics; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychosocial factors; Pulsatile Flow; Pulse wave velocity; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tunica Intima - diagnostic imaging; Tunica Media - diagnostic imaging; Ultrasonography; Vascular Resistance - physiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.001

Abstract Purpose To examine the association between depressive symptoms and subclinical markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD), specifically arterial stiffness, as indexed by pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid artery intima media thickening (IMT), in a sample of healthy adolescents, and to explore adolescent hostility as a potential moderator of depression on subclinical markers of CVD. Methods One hundred fifty-seven (n = 157) black and white adolescents between the ages of 16–21 completed a follow-up study of psychosocial stress and cardiovascular risk factors that included measures of PWV and carotid IMT. Psychosocial measures included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (divided into tertiles), and the Cook–Medley Hostility Inventory subscales. Linear regression models controlled for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, blood pressure, body mass index, and heart rate. Results Results show that more severe depressive symptoms were associated with higher levels of PWV (B = .17, R 2 = .30, ΔR 2 = .03, confidence interval = 2.2–47.0, p = .03) but not with higher IMT. Adolescent depression remained a significant predictor of PWV when controlling for adolescent hostility; hostility did not moderate the relationship between adolescent depression and PWV. Conclusion Depression may be important in the development of arterial stiffness in adolescence. Further research is needed to delineate the relationship in adolescence and young adulthood between depressive symptoms and the pathogenesis of CVD.