Relation between Major and Minor Depression and Heart Rate, Heart-Rate Variability, and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

This study examined the prevalence of major and minor depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome and their relation with heart rate and heart-rate variability, and clinical characteristics. The study group included 297 patients, 200 men and 97 women, between ages of 21 and 70 years (M age = 57.5 +/- 9.6), who were admitted to a coronary care unit with acute coronary syndrome and survived to discharge from the hospital. Major and minor depression were diagnosed using DSM-IV. There were 44.1% patients with acute coronary syndrome without depression, 29.3% with minor depression, and 26.6% with major depression. The prevalence of minor and major depression was more elevated in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina than in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Ventricular fibrillation and atrial fibrillation were more common in patients with major and minor depression than in patients without depression. The 24-hr. duration of heart-beat intervals and heart-rate variability were significantly lower in patients with major and minor depression than in patients without depression. This study implies that clinical depression was significantly comorbid with the acute coronary syndrome and was related to hypertension, diabetes mellitus, age, sex, type of acute coronary syndrome, left ventricular failure, higher heart rate, and lower heart-rate variability.