Carotid intima‐media thickness in late‐onset major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND: This study explored whether patients with late-onset major depressive disorder showed higher carotid artery intima-medium thickness (IMT) and investigated the relationship between the IMT and white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among patients. METHODS: Fourteen elderly patients with late-onset major depressive disorder from a psychiatric outpatient clinic and 11 non-depressed controls received a comprehensive psychiatric assessment, ultrasound IMT measurements of the carotid arteries, and cerebral MRI. RESULTS: The carotid IMT was higher in the patient group vs the control group (1.26 +/- 0.30 vs 1.00 +/- 0.20 mm; t = 2.40, p < 0.03). The difference was more apparent in the common carotid artery (1.20 +/- 0.32 vs 0.97 +/- 0.13 mm; t = 2.31, p < 0.04). There was a high correlation (r = 0.55, p < 0.05) between the carotid IMT and white matter hyperintensities among patients with late-onset major depressive disorder. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that atherosclerosis represented by the carotid IMT contributes to the development of late-onset major depressive disorder. The findings support the vascular depression hypothesis.