Low blood pressure and risk of depression in the elderly. A prospective community-based study.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between depression and low blood pressure in unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the temporal relation between low blood pressure and depression in a two-year follow-up.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 1389 subjects aged 59-71 years; 1272 (92%) were examined after two years. Subjects completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) and the Spielberger inventory scales to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking and drinking habits, medical history, drug use and blood pressure measures.


RESULTS
Among 1112 subjects who were considered as non-depressed at baseline, logistic regression models showed that low diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and decrease of blood pressure were predictors of high depressive symptomatology at follow-up. Baseline high CES-D scores did not predict low blood pressure two years after.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, low blood pressure was a risk factor for, but not a consequence of, high depressive symptomatology.
Institut National de la Santé et de le Recherche Medicale, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France.
S
S
Paterniti
M H
MH
Verdier-Taillefer
C
C
Geneste
J C
JC
Bisserbe
A
A
Alpérovitch
D000368:Aged; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000150:complications*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors