title: The role of maternal cardiac vagal control in the association between depressive symptoms and gestational hypertension.
abstract: Reduced cardiac vagal control, indexed by relatively lower high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), is implicated in depressed mood and hypertensive disorders among non-pregnant adults whereas research in pregnancy is limited. This study examined whether maternal HF-HRV during pregnancy mediates the association between depressed mood and gestational hypertension. Depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Depression Scale) and HF-HRV were measured during early (M=14.9 weeks) and late (M=32.4 weeks) pregnancy in 287 women. Gestational hypertension was determined by chart review. Depressive symptoms were associated with less HF-HRV (b=-0.02, p=.001). There was an indirect effect of depressed mood on gestational hypertension through late pregnancy HF-HRV (b=0.04, 95% CI 0.0038, 0.1028) after accounting for heart rate. These findings suggest cardiac vagal control is a possible pathway through which prenatal depressed mood is associated with gestational hypertension, though causal ordering remains uncertain.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors: Codie R
authors: CR
authors: Rouleau
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors: Lianne M
authors: LM
authors: Tomfohr-Madsen
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors: Tavis S
authors: TS
authors: Campbell
authors: Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Letourneau
authors: Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors: Maeve
authors: M
authors: O'Beirne
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada. Electronic address: ggiesbre@ucalgary.ca.
authors: Gerald F
authors: GF
authors: Giesbrecht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cardiac vagal control; Depressive symptoms; Gestational hypertension; Heart rate; High-frequency heart rate variability; Pregnancy