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Acute coronary syndrome and depression.
Carla Costa Dias1, Pedro S Mateus, Carlos Mateus
1Serviço de Cardiologia-Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. carlacostadias@netcabo.pt
Summary
Depressive symptoms are common in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, especially women. While not linked to readmission, depression correlates with worse clinical status during follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Clinical depression is linked to poor adherence to risk reduction strategies.
- It's considered an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes post-myocardial infarction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.
- To identify key determinants of these symptoms and their impact on clinical outcomes.
Main Methods:
- 240 consecutive ACS patients were assessed for depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) post-stabilization.
- Sociodemographic variables, cardiovascular status, and treatments were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Depressive symptoms (BDI ≥10) were found in 41.6% of patients.
- Depressed patients were older, more likely to be female, and had a history of cardiovascular events.
- Moderate/severe depression (BDI ≥19) was more common in women and less frequent in those with higher education and married individuals.
- Depressive symptoms were not associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors or in-hospital outcomes.
- During follow-up (16±4 months), patients with moderate/severe depression experienced more cardiovascular symptoms (angina, heart failure).
Conclusions:
- Depression is a frequent comorbidity in ACS patients, particularly women.
- Depressive symptoms are associated with prehospital factors and influence clinical status during follow-up.
- No association was found between depressive symptoms and readmission or mortality.