A seven-year longitudinal study at Paris Descartes University followed 7000 older adults who did not have a history of heart disease, stroke, or dementia upon study enrollment. Face-to-face interviews and measures of physical and mental health were conducted at baseline and follow-up visits (at 2, 4, 7 and 10 years). Those with depressive symptoms at one study visit had a 15% greater risk for heart disease or stroke over the course of the study. If depressive symptoms were observed at two study visits, the risks increased to 32%. The risk increased to 52% if depression was observed at three study visits, and for those with depression at four study visits, the risk peaked at 75%. (
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.13872/abstract)
Reference:
Péquignot, R., Dufouil, C., Prugger, C., Pérès, K., Artero, S., Tzourio, C., & Empana, J. (2016). High Level of Depressive Symptoms at Repeated Study Visits and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke over 10 Years in Older Adults: The Three-City Study.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64, 118-125.
Contributor:
Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP
IPA Communications Chair
CRG/Children’s Resource Group
"PsychBytes” is a weekly educational resource from the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) provided for psychologists, their colleagues and their patients.
