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Elevated stress-hemoconcentration in major depression is normalized by antidepressant treatment: secondary analysis

Ma-Li Wong1, Chuanhui Dong, Karin Esposito

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA. mali@miami.edu

Plos One
|November 6, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to increased stress-hemoconcentration and blood viscosity. Antidepressant treatment improved these measures, suggesting a potential benefit for cardiovascular health in patients with depression.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • MDD presence in CVD patients correlates with worse cardiac outcomes after myocardial infarction (MI).
  • Stress-hemoconcentration, a potential CVD risk factor from psychological stress, is not well-studied in MDD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate stress-hemoconcentration in individuals with mild to moderate MDD.
  • To assess the impact of antidepressant treatment on stress-hemoconcentration and blood viscosity in MDD patients.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of data from a pharmacogenetic study.
  • Inclusion of controls and subjects with mild to moderate MDD.
  • Measurement of hematologic and hemorheologic markers, including blood cell counts, hematocrit, hemoglobin, total serum protein, albumin, and whole blood viscosity.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with MDD exhibited significantly higher hemorheologic measures and blood viscosity compared to controls.
  • These measures correlated with depression severity.
  • Antidepressant treatment for 8 weeks led to significant improvements in stress-hemoconcentration measures, including white blood cell count, red blood cell measures, and plasma volume, which correlated with reduced depression severity.

Conclusions:

  • Stress-hemoconcentration is present in mild to moderate MDD patients at baseline.
  • Antidepressant treatment improves hemorheologic measures and correlates with depression symptom improvement.
  • These findings suggest antidepressants may reduce cardiovascular risk by improving blood viscosity in depressed patients.
Abstract

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