Cerebrovascular risk factors and depressed mood in inner city older adults

The vascular depression theory of late-life depression suggests that people with cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have an increased probability of experiencing depression. This study examined how CVRFs related to depressed mood, in a sample of 600 randomly selected, urban elders (mean age = 74 years). Participants reported their mood with a single Likert-scale item. The prevalence rate of depressed mood among those with vascular burden was significantly higher than those without vascular burden. Depressed mood was related to a higher number of days in bed sick and visits to a medical doctor. These findings provide support for the posited relation between CVRFs and depression, and highlight the relationship between depression and medical burden.