Key result
Coronary artery disease patients with higher depression scores had significantly lower heart rate variability (p=0.009) and higher average heart rate (p=0.003) compared to those with lower scores.
Why the study?
Does a higher depression score correlate with lower heart rate variability in patients with coronary artery disease?
Observational (n=42)
Does a higher depression score correlate with lower heart rate variability in patients with coronary artery disease?
p-value: p=0.009
Higher depression scores in patients with coronary artery disease are associated with lower heart rate variability and higher average heart rate during daily life.
May indicate autonomic effects of depression in CAD; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective confirmation before clinical adoption.
OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that coronary artery disease patients with higher depression scores have lower heart rate variability during daily life. METHOD: Thirty-three men and nine women, ranging in age from 46 to 79, with coronary artery disease and exercise-induced ischemia were studied. The standard deviation of normal R-R intervals (SDNN) and average heart rate were obtained from 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. Patients were grouped by a median split of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-D) score. RESULTS: SDNN was lower (p = .009) and average heart rate was higher (p = .003) in patients with higher depression scores. These relationships remained substantially unaltered after statistically adjusting for the only demographic/clinical factor that varied between the groups: gender. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to the lower depression score group, those with higher depression scores had lower heart rate variability during daily life. These findings may be related to the reported relationship between depression and survival risk in patients with coronary artery disease.
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Krittayaphong et al. (1997) conducted an observational in Coronary artery disease (n=42). Higher depression scores (MMPI-D) vs. Lower depression scores was evaluated on Standard deviation of normal R-R intervals (SDNN) (p=0.009). Coronary artery disease patients with higher depression scores had significantly lower heart rate variability (p=0.009) and higher average heart rate (p=0.003) compared to those with lower scores.
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