Depression among predictors of intermittent claudication: A cross-sectional study

The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between depression and intermittent claudication (IC), independently of traditional risk factors.

The sample consisted of 300 individuals (M age = 65.3 ± 8.7 years, 61.0% female) recruited from the offices of 33 general practitioners. Participants' medical history and the presence of major cardiovascular risk factors were recorded. Participants completed the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire. The role of depression (assessed by a shortened version of the Beck Depression Inventory) in predicting IC was examined using a binary logistic regression analysis - controlled for sex, age, hypertonia, diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterinemia, hazardous drinking, and body mass index (BMI).

The descriptive data indicated that the prevalence of depression was 57.9% in the IC subgroup and 16.1% in those free of IC. The bivariate analyses indicated that hypercholesterinemia, smoking, hazardous drinking, BMI, and depression were significantly associated with IC. Male sex and age showed a trend toward being a significant correlate of IC. Results of the multivariate analyses indicated that depressive symptomatology was significant in predicting IC (OR: 1.08 (1.05-1.11)), even after controlling for lifestyle and traditional risk factors such as smoking, hazardous drinking, and BMI. Among traditional risk factors, smoking (OR: 2.44 (1.26-4.74)), hazardous drinking (OR: 1.19 (1.02-1.40)), and hypercholesterinemia (OR: 2.17 (1.26-3.75)) showed a significant, positive relationship with IC.

These results underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that focuses on supporting health-related behavioral changes and managing mental health symptoms when providing care for patients with IC.