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Coronary plaque volume and composition assessed by computed tomography angiography in patients with late-onset major

Torben Albert Devantier1, Bjarne Linde Nørgaard2, Kristian Altern Øvrehus3

  • 1Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.

Psychosomatics
|December 24, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Major depression is linked to a higher proportion of calcified coronary plaque, suggesting a distinct plaque composition in these patients. This finding highlights a potential difference in cardiovascular disease development associated with depression.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Depression is a significant predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD) onset and mortality, surpassing traditional risk factors.
  • Previous studies on the depression-CAD link using non-contrast computed tomography (CT) yielded inconsistent results.
  • Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) offers a more detailed approach to investigate this association.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between late-onset major depression and coronary artery disease (CAD) using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).
  • To assess differences in coronary plaque composition, specifically the calcified plaque proportion, between patients with depression and controls.

Main Methods:

  • Semiautomatic volumetric quantification was used to determine calcified and noncalcified coronary plaque volumes in 28 patients with late-onset major depression and 27 controls.
  • The calcified plaque proportion (calcified plaque volume / total plaque volume) was calculated to assess plaque composition.
  • Statistical analyses were performed to compare plaque volumes and proportions between groups, including adjustments for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found in total, calcified, or noncalcified plaque volumes between depressed patients and controls.
  • The calcified plaque proportion was significantly higher in patients with depression (14%) compared to controls (7%) (p=0.044).
  • After adjusting for confounders, depression was associated with an 11.3 percentage point increase in the calcified plaque proportion (p=0.012).

Conclusions:

  • Patients with late-onset major depression exhibit a significantly higher proportion of calcified coronary plaque compared to controls.
  • This finding indicates a distinct difference in coronary plaque composition associated with major depression.
  • The results suggest that plaque composition, not just plaque volume, may be a crucial factor in the link between depression and cardiovascular disease.
Abstract

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