Cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with depression among Korean adults with coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease

Objective: This study investigated the cardiovascular risk factors associated with depression among Korean adults with coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebrovascular disease (CBVD). Methods: A total of 487 coronary artery disease and 434 cerebrovascular disease subjects from the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed according to sex using multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of depression was 21.7% in those with CAD and 25.5% in those with CBVD. The associated risk factors for depression were female sex (odds ratio [OR] 15.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44-102.03, P=0.004), less education (OR 7.09 and 10.36, 95% CI, 1.24-40.75, 1.86-57.70 for an elementary and middle school education, respectively), and hypertension (OR 5.35; 95% CI, 1.48-19.40) in those with CAD and were female sex (OR 4.06, 95% CI, 1.12-14.76) and diabetes mellitus (OR 3.31, 95% CI, 1.36-8.05) in CBVD. These significant associations remained in males, but not in females in those with both CAD and CBVD. Conclusions: This study found the associations between hypertension and depression in those with CAD and diabetes mellitus and depression in those with CBVD in males, but not in females. Further studies are needed to explore the associated psychosocial factors of depression in those with different CAD kinds in females.