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The Effects of Preexisting Depression on Cerebrovascular Health Outcomes in Geriatric Continuing Care

¹ Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
² Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Kentucky.
³ College of Medicine, Department of Family Practice, Michigan State University, Lansing.

Address correspondence to Peter A. Lichtenberg, PhD, Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, 87 E. Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48202. E-mail: p.lichtenberg{at}wayne.edu

Background. Previous studies have investigated depression as the cause and outcome of vascular deficit in elderly persons.

Methods. The authors wanted to determine whether baseline depression is predictive of subsequent cardiovascular events in very elderly persons residing in a continuing care retirement community (n = 181).

Results. Controlling for demographic factors, both depression and the number of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) at baseline were strongly predictive of stroke, whereas only CVRFs strongly predicted myocardial infarctions. Depression accounted for 12% of the variance in stroke incidence, beyond the contribution of CVRFs. Path analysis indicated that depression was also a partial moderator of the effect of CVRFs.

Conclusions. In support of the vascular depression hypothesis, the study findings indicate that, for the oldest old, depression may be a strong predictor of future stroke. The presence of depression in elderly patients should alert physicians to carefully investigate other stroke risk factors and to integrate depression into an overall intervention regimen for reducing patients' risks for stroke.