Relationship between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and depressive mood in Korean primary care patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• High blood pressure variability (BPV) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), potentially more so than average blood pressure.
• Depressive mood is a prevalent condition encountered in primary care settings.
• Understanding the interplay between depressive mood and BPV is crucial for managing cardiovascular risk in primary care populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between depressive mood and high visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) in Korean primary care patients.
• To determine if depressive mood is an independent predictor of high SBPV in this population.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study (Family Cohort Study in Primary Care - FACTS) involving Korean primary care patients from April 2009 to November 2017.
• Depressive mood was defined as a score ≥21 on the Korean-type Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale.
• Visit-to-visit SBPV was analyzed using standard deviation, coefficient of variation, variation independent of mean, and average real variability, with logistic regression used for association analysis.

Main Results:

• Among 371 participants, 11.6% exhibited depressive mood.
• Older age was associated with high SBPV (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07).
• Patients with depressive mood taking antihypertensive medication showed a nearly threefold increased risk of high SBPV (OR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.06-8.20) compared to those without depressive mood.

Conclusions:

• Depressive mood is significantly associated with high visit-to-visit SBPV among primary care patients receiving antihypertensive treatment.
• This finding suggests that depressive symptoms may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk through elevated blood pressure fluctuations.
• Primary care physicians should consider monitoring BPV in patients with depressive symptoms and implement targeted interventions.