General health status and vascular disorders as correlates of late‐life depressive symptoms in a national survey sample

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the associations between vascular disease, vascular risk factors and depressive symptoms in a national survey sample, the extent to which these associations are accounted for by general health status and the extent to which the association between depressive symptoms and worse general health is accounted for by level of vascular risk. METHODS: Data were analysed from the Health Survey for England 2005: a nationally representative cross-sectional population survey comprising 4269 adults aged > or = 65 living in private households. Data collected included depressive symptoms (10-item Geriatric Depression Scale), self-reported general health and vascular disease/risk factors, resting blood pressure and lipid profile. RESULTS: Case level depressive symptoms were associated with reported previous stroke, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes, as well as with current smoking. These associations were attenuated substantially when adjusted for general health status. On the other hand, the association between worse subjective health and depressive symptoms was not altered following adjustment for vascular disease/risk status. CONCLUSION: Worse general health appears to account for a large part of associations between cardiovascular disorders and depression, although this may represent 'over-adjustment'. Cardiovascular disease/risk does not appear to account for much of the association between worse general health and depression.