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Cardiac parasympathetic dysfunction related to depression in older adults with acute coronary syndromes

Salvador M Guinjoan1, M Soledad Ladrón de Guevara, Carolina Correa

  • 1Department of Mental Health and Coronary Care Unit, Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín", University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, Buenos Aires, Argentina. guinjoan@fmed.uba.ar

Journal of Psychosomatic Research
|February 28, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Depression is linked to reduced parasympathetic heart control in elderly patients after acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). This indicates impaired cardiac autonomic function in older adults experiencing both depression and ACS.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Autonomic Nervous System

Background:

  • Cardiac autonomic dysfunction is a known complication of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs).
  • Depression is increasingly recognized as a significant risk factor and comorbidity in cardiovascular diseases.
  • The interplay between depression and cardiac autonomic regulation in elderly patients post-ACS requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between depression and cardiac autonomic alterations in elderly patients who have recently experienced acute coronary syndromes (ACSs).

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 56 adults aged 60 years and older.
  • Participants had experienced a recent myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina (UA) within 24-72 hours.
  • Depression was assessed using the 21-item Hamilton depression score, and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters were analyzed for autonomic function.

Main Results:

  • Patients with depression exhibited significantly decreased parasympathetic activity, indicated by lower spectral and nonspectral parameters of respiratory sinus arrhythmia.
  • Specifically, high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and pNN50 were reduced in the depressed group.
  • A negative correlation was observed between the severity of depressive symptoms and HF-HRV, suggesting a dose-dependent relationship.

Conclusions:

  • Depression is associated with impaired cardiac autonomic control, specifically diminished parasympathetic activity, in older adults following ACS.
  • These findings highlight the importance of addressing depression in the management of elderly patients with cardiovascular conditions to potentially improve cardiac outcomes.
Abstract

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