Depression may have greater impact on heart health for women than men
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Key takeaways:
- Women with depression may be at greater risk for heart attack, recurrent chest pain, stroke, heart failure and atrial fibrillation vs. men.
- The association was significant regardless of age or obesity status.
Among adults with depression, risk for cardiovascular events was greater in women compared with men, regardless of age or obesity status, researchers reported in JACC: Asia.
According to results of the study of more than 4 million adults in Japan, risk for CV events was greater in people with depression compared with those without it.
“The identification of sex-specific factors in the adverse effects of depression on cardiovascular outcomes may help in the development of targeted prevention and treatment strategies that address the specific CVD risks faced by depressed patients,” Hidehiro Kaneko, MD, assistant professor in the department of cardiology at the University of Tokyo, said in a press release. “A better understanding will allow health care providers to optimize care for both men and women with depression, leading to improved CVD outcomes for these populations.”
Using the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) claims database, Kaneko and colleagues evaluated sex differences in the association between depression and CVD events in a cohort of more than 4.1 million adults aged 18 to 75 years with no history of CVD or renal failure at baseline (median age, 44 years). The average follow-up duration was 1,288 days.
The primary composite outcome included MI, angina pectoris, stroke, HF and atrial fibrillation. The secondary outcome was incidence of any component of the primary composite outcome.
Depression was observed in 4.2% of men and 4.5% of women.
The researchers noted that obesity, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and physical inactivity were all more prevalent among individuals with depression compared with those without depression (P for all < .001).
In the multivariable-adjusted model, the presence of depression was associated with increased risk for the primary composite outcome in men (HR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.35-1.42) and women (HR = 1.64; 95% CI, 1.59-1.7; P for interaction < .001).
HRs for each component of the primary outcome were higher among individuals with depression compared with those without depression and higher among women compared with men, ranging from 1.15 to 1.46 in men with depression and 1.52 to 1.68 in women with depression.
Depression was associated with increased risk for the primary outcomes in men and women regardless of age, according to the study.
Moreover, risk for CVD events in women with depression with and without obesity remained greater compared with men.
“Our study found that the impact of sex differences on the association between depression and cardiovascular outcomes was consistent,” Kaneko said in the release. “Health care professionals must recognize the important role of depression in the development of CVD and emphasize the importance of a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to its prevention and management. Assessing the risk of CVD in depressed patients and treating and preventing depression may lead to a decrease of CVD cases.”
Reference:
- Women with depression face higher cardiovascular risk than men. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1036966. Published March 12, 2024. Accessed March 12, 2024.
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