The Relationship Between Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Major Depression

Introduction: Cardiovascular risk in depression has been investigated in small clinical samples and population-based studies revealing inconclusive results. However, cardiovascular risk in drug-naive depressed patients has not been tested extensively.

Methods: Body mass index-based Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Scores and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) levels were used to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease in drug-naive depressed patients and healthy volunteers.

Conclusion: There were no significant differences in Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Scores and individually assessed risk variables between patients and healthy controls (HC). Both groups were comparable in terms of sICAM-1.

Results: The widely recognized association between cardiovascular risk and major depression might be more prominent in older depressed patients and patients with recurring episodes.