Vascular risk to late-life depression: evidence from a longitudinal community study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine prospectively relationships between minor cerebrovascular episodes and depressive symptoms in a community cohort of older persons.


METHODS
In 1988-1989, baseline measurements of vascular risk factors and depressive symptoms were obtained in older community residents (mean age = 67). At 10-year follow-up, three subgroups of subjects still residing in the community were re-assessed: those who had suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) (n = 16) in the intervening period; those with hypertension but no TIAs (n = 38); and, those with neither TIAs nor hypertension (n = 40).


RESULTS
Of the 16 persons with depressive symptoms at 10-year follow-up, only three had reported depressive symptoms initially. Subjects who had experienced TIAs during the longitudinal phase had higher rates of depressive symptoms than the subjects from the other two groups (38%vs 13%, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the notion that cerebrovascular incidents predispose to late-onset depression in older persons residing in the community. Intrinsically, this provides epidemiological support for the validity of the concept of 'vascular depression'.
Hickie
Ian
I
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. ian.hickie@beyondblue.org.au
Simons
Leon
L
Naismith
Sharon
S
Simons
Judith
J
McCallum
John
J
Pearson
Kerrie
K
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003153:Community Health Services; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents