Heart rate variability in depressed elderly.
OBJECTIVE
The present study examines a measure of cardiac autonomic function, the heart rate variability (HRV), in a group of depressed elderly. Cardiac autonomic abnormalities have been implicated as a potential mediator of cardiovascular events and sudden death in depression. Because aging is associated with decreased cardiac vagal activity, it is possible that autonomic abnormalities are even more pronounced in the older depressed patients.


METHODS
Cross-sectional comparison between those with or without depression. The groups were compared using the Wilcoxon matched-pair sign-rank test.


METHODS
Advanced Center for Interventions and Services Research for Late-Life Mood Disorders at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.


METHODS
Fifty-three patients with major depression (mean age: 73.3; SD: 7.4; range: 60-93) and an equal number of age and gender-matched subjects as a comparison group.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Time domain and frequency domain measures of HRV.


RESULTS
The groups did not differ in any of the time domain or frequency domain measures of HRV. As expected, subjects without depression displayed decreasing cardiac vagal function with aging (Spearman correlation coefficient r(s) = -0.33, p = 0.02). However, there was no significant change in vagal function with age in the depressed (r = 0.12, p= 0.38). Post-hoc analysis using Fisher's z(r) transformation revealed that the relationship between age and cardiac vagal function was significantly different between the groups (z = 2.32, p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that age has differential influence on vagal function in individuals with and without depression, a difference with implications for cardiovascular disease risk in depression. Prospective studies of cardiac vagal activity in depressed patients with or without preexisting cardiac disease in different age groups are needed to replicate and extend these findings.
Jindal
Ripu D
RD
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2593, USA. jindalr@upmc.edu
Vasko
Raymond C
RC
Jennings
J Richard
JR
Fasiczka
Amy L
AL
Thase
Michael E
ME
Reynolds
Charles F
CF
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology