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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

Published on: December 2, 2015

Autonomic dysfunction: a link between depression and cardiovascular mortality? The FINE Study.

Marjolein H Kamphuis¹, Mirjam I Geerlings, Jacqueline M Dekker

¹Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. M.Kamphuis@umcutrecht.nl

European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation : Official Journal of the European Society of Cardiology, Working Groups on Epidemiology & Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology

|November 29, 2007

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Mild depressive symptoms in elderly men are linked to autonomic dysfunction but do not fully explain their increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Further research is needed to understand this complex relationship between depression and heart health.

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Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

Published on: December 2, 2015

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Gerontology
Psychiatry

Background:

Depression is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in both general and vascular patient populations.
Autonomic dysfunction is a potential mechanism linking depression and CVD, but requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether autonomic dysfunction mediates the association between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular mortality in elderly men.
To explore the relationship between depressive symptoms, autonomic function markers, and long-term CVD risk.

Main Methods:

Prospective cohort study (Finland, Italy and The Netherlands Elderly - FINE Study) of 870 men aged 70-90 years, free of CVD and diabetes at baseline.
Assessed depressive symptoms using the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale.
Measured resting heart rate, heart-rate variability (HRV), and QTc interval as indicators of autonomic function.

Main Results:

Depressive symptoms at baseline correlated with increased resting heart rate and trends towards low HRV and prolonged QTc interval.
Increased resting heart rate, low HRV, and prolonged QTc interval were associated with increased cardiovascular mortality over 10 years.
The elevated risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with depressive symptoms persisted even after adjusting for autonomic dysfunction indicators.

Conclusions:

Mild depressive symptoms in elderly men are associated with indicators of autonomic dysfunction.
Autonomic dysfunction does not fully explain the heightened risk of cardiovascular mortality observed in men with depressive symptoms.