Depressive symptoms and the risk of atherosclerotic progression among patients with coronary artery bypass grafts.
BACKGROUND
Depressive symptoms have been associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease and poor prognosis among patients with existing coronary artery disease, but whether depressive symptoms specifically influence atherosclerotic progression among such patients is uncertain.


RESULTS
The Post-CABG Trial randomized patients with a history of coronary bypass graft surgery to either an aggressive or a moderate lipid-lowering strategy and to either warfarin or placebo. Coronary angiography was conducted at enrollment and after a median follow-up of 4.2 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed at enrollment with the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) in 1319 patients with 2496 grafts. In models that adjusted for age, gender, race, treatment assignment, and years since coronary bypass graft surgery, a CES-D score > or =16 was positively associated with risk of substantial graft disease progression (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.10, P=0.02) and marginally associated with a 0.11-mm (95% CI -0.22 to 0.01 mm, P=0.07) decrease in minimum lumen diameter, but not with risk of graft occlusion (P=0.30). Additional adjustment for past medical history, blood pressure, and renal function did not materially alter these results. This association was virtually absent among participants randomly assigned to aggressive lipid-lowering therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that depressive symptoms are associated with a higher risk of atherosclerotic progression among patients with saphenous vein grafts and that aggressive lipid lowering can minimize this increased risk. Whether depressive symptoms increase progression in other types of coronary atherosclerosis and whether aggressive lipid lowering attenuates such progression will require additional study.
Wellenius
Gregory A
GA
Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. gwelleni@bidmc.harvard.edu
Mukamal
Kenneth J
KJ
Kulshreshtha
Ambar
A
Asonganyi
Sharon
S
Mittleman
Murray A
MA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents