Association of low blood pressure with anxiety and depression: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study.
BACKGROUND
Low blood pressure has mainly been regarded as ideal, but recent studies have indicated an association with depression in elderly people.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether low blood pressure is associated with anxiety and depression in the general population.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Participants in the population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT-2, 1995-7), Norway.


METHODS
60,799 men and women aged 20-89 years filled in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as part of a general health study. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was classified in age-stratified and sex-stratified centile groups.


RESULTS
Compared with participants with systolic blood pressure within the 41-60 centile (reference) group, the odds ratio for anxiety was 1.31 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.16 to 1.49), for depression 1.22 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.46), and for comorbid anxiety and depression 1.44 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.68) in the group with < or =5 centile systolic blood pressure. Slightly weaker associations were found of low diastolic blood pressure with anxiety and depression. These associations were similar across sex and age groups. Physical impairment, smoking and angina pectoris influenced the associations only marginally, whereas stroke, myocardial infarction, use of drugs for hypertension, body mass index and several other covariates had no influence.


CONCLUSIONS
This study represents epidemiological evidence for an association of low blood pressure with anxiety and depression, which is not caused by cardiovascular disease.
Hildrum
Bjørn
B
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Namsos, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7800 Namsos, Norway. bjorn.hildrum@hnt.no
Mykletun
Arnstein
A
Stordal
Eystein
E
Bjelland
Ingvar
I
Dahl
Alv A
AA
Holmen
Jostein
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors