Aspirin use and risk of depression: a cross-sectional study

The association between aspirin use and depression risk remains controversial.

Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from the 2011 to 2018, a cross-sectional study was designed. Depression was estimated using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between aspirin use and depression, adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical covariates. To explore potential heterogeneity, we stratified the analysis by depression severity and aspirin dose categories.

A total of 4,887 participants with a mean age of 65.5 years were included. Of the participants, 1,421 (29%) were identified to be with depression. Aspirin use was inversely associated with the depression (OR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.86; p < 0.01). For depression of different severity, aspirin use was inversely significantly associated with "Mild depression" (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.83; p < 0.001) while not significant associated with "Moderate and severe depression".

Aspirin use was inversely associated with depression, particularly mild depression, and the association differed by depression severity and aspirin dose. The clinical benefits and risks of aspirin should be carefully considered.