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Is depression a risk factor for heart complaints?

Longitudinal aspects in the Zurich study

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European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The objective of this longitudinal study was to assess the association between major depression and heart complaints in a population of young and healthy adults.

Methods

Starting at the age 20/21, participants of the Zurich Study underwent 6 structured, psychological interviews during a span of 20 years. We evaluated longitudinal data from 277 persons who participated in all 6 interviews including questions about heart complaints.

Results

Over 20 years, heart complaints were reported by two thirds of participants, and the frequency of depression was 11.4%. At the age of 40/41, heart complaints were significantly associated with earlier heart complaints and major depression, both more often in women. Recurrent brief depression showed a tendency, but neither minor depression nor depressive symptoms were predictive for later heart complaints.

Conclusions

This study suggests that major depression is a predictor for heart complaints at the age of 40 and that the severity of depressive disorder in younger age has an effect on subsequent heart complaints. Follow-up data will help to elucidate whether these subjective heart complaints show any correlation with a later coronary heart disease.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by grant #32-5088.97 from the Swiss National Foundation,EMDO Foundation and a Sponsoring by Sanofi-Synthelabo

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Social Psychiatry, Zurich University Psychiatric Hospital, Lenggstrasse 31, PO Box 1931, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland

    Dominique Eich MD, Christoph Neuhaus MSc, Wulf Rössler MD, MSc & Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross PhD

  2. Professorship for Social Psychology and Research on Higher Education, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Christoph Neuhaus MSc

  3. Zurich University Psychiatric Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

    Alex Gamma PhD & Jules Angst MD

  4. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross PhD

  5. Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

    Milos Opravil

Authors
  1. Dominique Eich MD
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  2. Christoph Neuhaus MSc
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  3. Alex Gamma PhD
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  4. Jules Angst MD
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  5. Wulf Rössler MD, MSc
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  6. Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross PhD
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  7. Milos Opravil
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Correspondence to Dominique Eich MD.

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Eich, D., Neuhaus, C., Gamma, A. et al. Is depression a risk factor for heart complaints?. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosc 257, 396–401 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-007-0747-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-007-0747-x

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