Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026
Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rats
Published on: February 16, 2011
Gender-Based Differences in Anxiety and Depression Following Acute Myocardial Infarction
Pranas Serpytis1,2,3, Petras Navickas1, Laura Lukaviciute1
1Vilnius University - Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius - Lithuania.
Insights
Women are at higher risk for anxiety and depression after myocardial infarction (MI). Depression severity increased with age in men but not women, with specific risk factors varying by gender.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Depression and anxiety are common in heart disease patients and are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease progression.
- Limited research exists on gender-specific differences in emotional disorders among cardiovascular patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess depression and anxiety levels in myocardial infarction (MI) patients within one month post-MI.
- To examine associations between cardiovascular disease risk factors, demographics, and emotional disorders.
- To identify gender-based differences in these associations.
Main Methods:
- A survey collected demographic and clinical data, including cardiovascular disease risk factors.
- The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure emotional disorders.
- Statistical analyses, including two-sided tests, were performed with a significance level of p < 0.05.
Main Results:
- Women showed higher rates of anxiety and/or depression (71.4%) compared to men (60.4%).
- Women had a significantly higher risk of psychiatric disorders (OR 2.86) and higher depression scores (HADS-D: 8.66) than men (6.87).
- Depression in men was associated with younger age, while in women, depression and anxiety severity were consistent across age groups post-MI.
Conclusions:
- Women face an elevated risk of anxiety and/or depression post-MI compared to men.
- Gender-specific patterns emerged regarding the relationship between emotional disorder severity, age, and risk factors like diabetes, inactivity, and smoking.
- Hypercholesterolemia was linked to higher anxiety and depression scores in both genders.
Background:
Among patients with heart disease, depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and persistent. Both depression and anxiety play a significant role in cardiovascular disease progression and are acknowledged to be independent risk factors. However, there is very little gender-related analysis concerning cardiovascular diseases and emotional disorders.
Objective:
We aimed to evaluate depression and anxiety levels in patients suffering from myocardial infarction [MI] within the first month after the MI and to assess the association between cardiovascular disease risk factors, demographic indicators and emotional disorders, as well as to determine whether there are gender-based differences or similarities.
Methods:
This survey included demographic questions, clinical characteristics, questions about cardiovascular disease risk factors and the use of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]. All statistical tests were two-sided, and p values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results:
It was determined that 71.4% of female and 60.4% of male patients had concomitant anxiety and/or depression symptomatology (p = 0.006). Using men as the reference point, women had an elevated risk of having some type of psychiatric disorder (odds ratio, 2.86, p = 0.007). The HADS-D score was notably higher in women (8.66 ± 3.717) than men (6.87 ± 4.531, p = 0.004). It was determined that male patients who developed depression were on average younger than those without depression (p = 0.005).
Conclusions:
Women demonstrated an elevated risk of having anxiety and/or depression disorder compared to men. Furthermore, depression severity increased with age in men, while anxiety severity decreased. In contrast, depression and anxiety severity was similar for women of all ages after the MI. A higher depression score was associated with diabetes and physical inactivity, whereas a higher anxiety score was associated with smoking in men. Hypercholesterolemia was associated with both higher anxiety and depression scores, and a higher depression score was associated with physical inactivity in women.
Related Concept Videos
01:05Long-term Depression
01:03Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
03:12Freezing Point Depression and Boiling Point Elevation
The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapor pressure is equal to ambient atmospheric pressure. Since the vapor pressure of a solution is lowered due to the presence of nonvolatile solutes, it stands to reason that the solution’s boiling point will subsequently be increased. Vapor pressure increases with temperature, and so a solution will require a higher temperature than will pure solvent to achieve any given vapor pressure, including one...
01:28Depressants
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...