Association between depression and coronary artery calcification in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the associations between depression, cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in women with SLE and controls.


METHODS
CAC was measured using electron-beam CT (EBCT). Traditional, inflammatory and lupus-related risk factors as well as depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-CES-D) were measured at a single study visit in 161 women with SLE and 161 age- and race frequency-matched female healthy controls.


RESULTS
Women with SLE reported more depressive symptoms than controls, with 27% of SLE and 15% of controls having CES-D scores suggestive of clinical depression. SLE women were more likely to have CAC, as well as more severe CAC compared with controls. Among the SLE women, depression was associated with greater than 2-fold odds of having any CAC [odds ratio (OR) 2.48; 95% CI 1.05, 5.87; P = 0.04], independent of traditional risk factors (age, hypertension and triglycerides) and inflammatory markers. However, when BMI was included among the covariates, the association between depression and CAC was attenuated, indicating the potential mediating role of BMI. Depression was not a risk factor for CAC in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
In women with SLE, depression was associated with CAC. This association was mediated by BMI. Depression and adiposity may add to the inflammatory burden of SLE, thus contributing to cardiovascular disease risk.
Greco
Carol M
CM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. grecocm@upmc.edu
Kao
Amy H
AH
Sattar
Abdus
A
Danchenko
Natalya
N
Maksimowicz-McKinnon
Kathleen M
KM
Edmundowicz
Daniel
D
Sutton-Tyrrell
Kim
K
Tracy
Russell P
RP
Kuller
Lewis H
LH
Manzi
Susan
S
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008055:Lipids