Depressive symptoms are associated with unhealthy lifestyles in hypertensive patients with the metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Metabolic syndrome results from a complex interaction between lifestyle and genetic factors. Among this population, adhesion to healthy recommendations is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention. We examined the association between depression and multiple unhealthy behaviours in hypertensive patients with the metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
Eight hundred and forty consecutive hypertensive subjects with the metabolic syndrome were studied in our secondary-care centre. Separated scores reflecting unhealthy behaviours (physical inactivity, smoking and unhealthy diet) were combined to produce a global unhealthy lifestyle score. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale was used to assess and quantify depression. We performed a separate analysis for each sex.


RESULTS
The prevalence of depression (13.0 versus 7.3%, P < 0.001) was greater in women than in men. Presence of depression was significantly associated in both men and women with unhealthy diet (in particular, excessive cholesterol and total caloric intake) but also with decreased physical activity in men and with smoking habits in women. In both sexes, the global unhealthy lifestyle score, reflecting a cluster of unhealthy behaviours, was positively correlated with the depression score. In multivariate analysis, the depression score appeared in both sexes as an independent determinant of unhealthy lifestyle.


CONCLUSIONS
Among hypertensive subjects with the metabolic syndrome, depressive symptoms along a continuum of severity are independently associated with multiple unhealthy lifestyles. This suggests that even minor forms of depression may impact on adhesion to health behaviours beyond major depressive symptoms and/or psychiatric condition.
Bonnet
Fabrice
F
Department of Medicine, Diabetology-Endocrinology, Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Lyon, France. fab.so.bonnet@free.fr
Irving
Kate
K
Terra
Jean-Louis
JL
Nony
Patrice
P
Berthezène
François
F
Moulin
Philippe
P
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary