A prospective study of ideal cardiovascular health and depressive symptoms

Ideal cardiovascular health is a new construct defined by the American Heart Association as part of its 2020 Impact Goal.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the simultaneous presence of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors could reduce the odds of developing depressive symptoms.

Participants from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, who did not have any mental disorder/condition at baseline, were examined between 1987 and 1998, and they were followed up for a mean period of 6.1 years. Ideal cardiovascular health behaviors (never smoking, body mass index <25kg/m(2), physical activity at goal, and appropriate diet consistent with guideline recommendations) and factors (total cholesterol <200mg/dL, blood pressure <120/80mm Hg, and fasting blood glucose <100mg/dL) were measured at baseline. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in 1990, 1995, or 1999.

Of the 5110 participants, 641 reported depressive symptoms. Participants meeting 3-4 or 5-7 ideal cardiovascular health components had 28% (odds ratio = 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.59-0.87) and 36% (odds ratio = 0.64; confidence interval 0.50-0.82) decreased odds of depressive symptoms, respectively, when compared with those meeting 0-2 ideal components. Ideal behaviors were associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms in participants meeting 2 or 3-4 ideal behaviors, compared with those meeting 0-1 (odds ratio = 0.81; confidence interval 0.67-0.98 and odds ratio = 0.72; confidence interval 0.57-0.91). Ideal factors were not associated with depressive symptoms.

Ideal cardiovascular health components, especially health behaviors, present an inverse relationship with depressive symptoms.