title: Relationship between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular risk factors among selected Latino patients at a community clinic.
abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between severity of depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among selected Latino patients within a primary care setting. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 164 low-income Latino patients at San Ysidro Health Center (SYHC) who had been recruited into a mental health program between January 2007 and March 2008. Patients were between the ages of 18 and 83 years, 54 were males and 109 females. Patients were screened using the 9-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), a standardized instrument used to measure depression severity. We used regression models to analyze the relationship between severity of depression and CVD risk factors. Seventy-eight percent of the patients had at least mild depression based on PHQ-9 score categories. Significant age-adjusted pairwise associations were found with CVD risk factors; body mass index (BMI), diabetes status, serum cholesterol level, and serum triglyceride level were all associated with depression severity score. Regression models indicated that diabetic patients on anti-depressive medication with higher BMI scores and triglyceride levels had significantly higher depression severity scores. Clinicians should be made aware that depressive symptoms may impede efforts to modify BMI, serum triglycerides, anti-depression medication, and diabetes among Latino patients. They should, therefore, screen and treat depression among Latinos at risk to CVD.
authors.affiliation: College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. cglassy@msu.ed
authors.forename: Crystal M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Glassy
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lemus
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cronan
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Glassy
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Talavera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires