Anxiety and Depression Symptom Comorbidity and the Risk of Heart Disease

A Prospective Community-Based Cohort Study

Bibliographic Data

ID19302020
AuthorsSonya S Deschêne (0000-0002-9258-0895, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, corresponding author), Rita J Burns (0000-0002-5337-7878), Rachel J Burns, Norbert Schmitz (0000-0001-7777-6323)
Year2020
Volume82
Issue3
Pages296-304
Publication date2020-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/psy.0000000000000790
PMID32058463
OpenAlexW3006516329
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited36

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine the independent and joint associations between anxiety and depression symptoms with the risk of heart disease. METHODS: A total of 30,635 participants from the CARTaGENE community cohort study in Quebec who did not have heart diseases at baseline were included in the study. Baseline anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires. Survey data were linked with diagnostic codes from a public insurance database to examine incident heart disease during a 7-year follow-up period. Cox regression analyses were conducted comparing groups with high anxiety only, high depression only, comorbid anxiety and depression, and no/low symptoms of both on the risk of heart disease. Additional analyses examined anxiety and depression using continuous questionnaire symptom scores, data-driven comorbidity groups, and diagnostic codes. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, diabetes, and hypertension. RESULTS: In the main analyses, we found that, although depression without anxiety symptoms was associated with an increased risk of heart disease (hazard ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.74), there was no significant association for anxiety without depression symptoms (hazard ratio = 1.00, 95% confidence interval = 0.71-1.41). High anxiety assessed with diagnostic codes or by examining latent classes was, however, associated with a higher risk of heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: The association between anxiety and incident heart disease may be accounted for by comorbid depression, particularly when anxiety and depression symptoms are assessed using self-report questionnaires. Differing methods of assessment and analysis, and adjustment for comorbid depression may explain differences in findings across different studies on anxiety and the risk of heart disease

Anxiety · Cohort · Cohort study · Comorbidity · Confidence interval · Depression (economics) · Hazard ratio · Proportional hazards model · Prospective cohort study · Psychiatry · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Cardiac Health and Mental Health · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Music Therapy and Health · Psychology

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