Influence of Treatments for Depression and Sleep Quality on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure in Individuals with Hypertension and Depression

Objective: To observe the influence of the treatment of depression on the regularization of blood pressure and heart rate of individuals with hypertension and depression. Methods: A total of 30 individuals who were being treated for hypertension were diagnosed for depression participated in this study. Escitalopram (10 - 20 mg) was administered to 15 individuals, while the other 15 received placebo. These individuals were followed for 8 weeks with regular monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate. Scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were evaluated within the first, second, fourth, and eighth weeks of the study onset. The same 30 individuals were further divided into groups who had or had not undergone depression remission, regardless of whether the individual was receiving the active drug or placebo. Likewise, in order to observe the influence of sleep regularization, the patients were divided into groups based on whether their sleep quality had improved. Results: There was a significant decrease in the average systolic blood pressure of the normal-sleep group (-20.07 ± 13.45 vs. -9.43 ± 14.87 mmHg, p = 0.04). Heart rate was lower in the escitalopram than in the placebo group: 66.88 ± 9.62 vs. 74.19 ± 9.55 bpm, p = 0.04. Conclusion: Treatment with escitalopram decreased heart rate, improved sleep quality, and decreased blood pressure.