Depressive symptoms and carotid artery intima-media thickness in young adults: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
OBJECTIVE
Depression and coronary heart disease are often comorbid conditions, but the mechanism behind this link is largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis that a high level of depressive symptoms in healthy young adults would be related to more prevalent preclinical atherosclerosis.


METHODS
We studied the association between depressive symptoms and carotid atherosclerosis in 1126 young adults (410 men and 716 women) as part of the ongoing population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The participants responded to a revised version of Beck's Depression Inventory in 1992, 1997, and 2001. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by measuring the thickness of the common carotid artery intima-media complex with ultrasound in 2001. Cardiovascular risk factors were measured in childhood/adolescence (1980) and in adulthood (2001).


RESULTS
In men, high scorers of depressive symptoms in 2001 had higher carotid artery intima-media thickness (0.63 mm) compared with those with low or moderate scores on depressive symptoms (0.57 mm). This relationship (B = 0.08, F[1, 405] = 9.24, p = .003) persisted after adjustment for age and cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence and adulthood. Depression scores in 1992 and 1997 were not predictive of intima-media thickness. In women, no association was found between depressive symptoms and intima-media thickness.


CONCLUSIONS
Depressive symptoms during early adulthood seem to be associated with higher levels of carotid intima-media thickness in men, but not in women.
Elovainio
Marko
M
Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Keltikangas-Järvinen
Liisa
L
Kivimäki
Mika
M
Pulkki
Laura
L
Puttonen
Sampsa
S
Heponiemi
Tarja
T
Juonala
Markus
M
Viikari
Jorma S A
JS
Raitakari
Olli T
OT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography