title: Depressive symptoms and carotid intima-media thickness in South American Hispanics: results from the PREVENCION study.
abstract: This study aimed to: (1) examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT); and, (2) Determine the moderating effect of gender in this relationship among South American Hispanics. We studied 496 adults enrolled in the population-based PREVENCION study. Carotid IMT was measured with high-resolution ultrasonography. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Mean carotid IMT was 0.66 mm. (SD = 0.17) and mean depression score was 5.6 (SD = 3.5). Depressive symptoms were not associated with carotid IMT (β = 0.04, p = 0.222) in multivariate analyses. A significant moderating effect of gender was found (β for interaction = 0.10, p = 0.030), resulting from a significant association between depressive symptoms and carotid IMT in men but not women. Depressive symptoms were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in South American Hispanic men but not women after controlling for demographic characteristics and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248185, Coral Gables, FL, 33124-0751, USA, dchirinos-medina@psy.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Diana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chirinos
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Medina-Lezama
authors.forename: Belissa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salinas-Najarro
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arguelles
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Llabre
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schneiderman
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paz-Manrique
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bolanos
authors.forename: Zubair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chirinos
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru; D062706:Prodromal Symptoms; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol