Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Absence of association between depression and hypertension: results of a prospectively designed population-based study

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 20, pages 434–439 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the relation between hypertension and depression. In a cross-sectional study of the urban region of a State capital with more than 1.5 million inhabitants, 1174 men and women aged 18–80 years, selected at random from the population, were studied. Blood pressure, hypertension (blood pressure readings ⩾140/90 mm Hg or use of blood pressure-lowering agents), risk factors for hypertension and depression according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition) were investigated in home interviews. The prevalence of major depression and hypertension were 12.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.5–14.3) and 34.7% (95% CI: 32.2–37.4), respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures of individuals with and without a lifetime episode of depression were not different after adjustment for age and gender. Lifetime episodic major depression was not associated with hypertension in bivariate analysis (risk ratios (RR): 0.96, 95% CI: 0.76–1.23) and after adjustment for confounding (RR: 1.15; 95% CI:0.75–1.76). Hypertension and depression were not associated in this free-living population of adults, suggesting that their concomitant occurrence in clinical practice may be ascribed to chance.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Murray CJ, Lopez AD . Global mortality, disability, and the contribution of risk factors: global burden of disease study. Lancet 1997; 349: 1436–1442.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Koretz D, Merikangas KR et al. National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA 2003; 289: 3095–3105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Almeida-Filho N, Mari JJ, Coutinho E, Franca JF, Fernandes J, Andreoli SB et al. Brazilian multicentric study of psychiatric morbidity. Methodological features and prevalence estimates. Br J Psychiatry 1997; 171: 524–529.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Fuchs FD, Moreira LB, Moraes RS, Bredemeier M, Cardozo SC . Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors in Porto Alegre: a population-based study. Arq Bras Cardiol 1995; 63: 473–479.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ayres JE . Prevalence of hypertension in the city of Piracicaba. Arq Bras Cardiol 1991; 57: 33–36.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Lolio CA . Prevalence of hypertension in Araraquara. Arq Bras Cardiol 1990; 55: 167–173.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Klein CH, Araújo JWG, Leal MC . Epidemiological survey on hypertension in Volta Redonda, R.J. Cad Saude Pub RJ 1995; 1: 58–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Piccini RX, Victora CG . Hypertension in an urban area in southern Brazil: prevalence and risk factors. Rev Saude Publica 1994; 28: 261–267.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kearney PM, Whelton M, Reynolds K, Whelton PK, He J . Worldwide prevalence of hypertension: a systematic review. J Hypertens 2004; 22: 11–19.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Barefoot JC, Schroll M . Symptoms of depression, acute myocardial infarction, and total mortality in a community sample. Circulation 1996; 93: 1976–1980.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wulsin LR, Singal BM . Do depressive symptoms increase the risk for the onset of coronary disease? A systematic quantitative review. Psychosom Med 2003; 65: 201–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Everson AS, Roberts RE, Goldberg DE, Kaplan GA . Depressive symptoms and increased risk of stroke mortality over 29-year period. Arch Intern Med 1998; 158: 1133–1138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Jonas BS, Franks P, Ingram DD . Are symptoms of anxiety and depression risk factors for hypertension? Longitudinal evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Arch Fam Med 1997; 6: 43–49.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Davidson K, Jonas BS, Dixon KE, Markovitz JH . Do depression symptoms predict early hypertension incidence in young adults in CARDIA study? Arch Intern Med 2000; 160: 1495–1500.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Simonsick EM, Wallace RB, Blazer DG, Berkman LF . Depressive symptomatology and hypertension-associated morbidity and mortality in older adults. Psychosom Med 1995; 57: 427–435.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Goldberg EL, Comstock GW, Graves CG . Psychosocial factors ad blood pressure. Psychol Med 1980; 10: 243–255.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Jones-Webb R, Jacobs Jr DR, Flack JM, Liu K . Relationships between depressive symptoms, anxiety, alcohol consumption, and blood pressure: results from the CARDIA study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1996; 20: 420–427.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Davidson K, MacGregor MW, MacLean D . Anxiety, hostility, anger expression, and blood pressure in a population-based sample: the NSHS Study. Ann Behav Med 1988; 20 (Suppl): S78.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Wells KB, Rogers W, Burnam MA, Camp P . Course of depression in patients with hypertension, myocardial infarction, or insulin-dependent diabetes. Am J Psychiatry 1993; 150: 632–638.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Moreira LB, Fuchs FD, Moraes RS, Brademeier M, Duncan BB . Alcohol intake and blood pressure: the importance of time elapsed since last drink. J Hypertens 1998; 16: 175–180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fuchs FD, Moreira LB, Pires CP, Torres FS, Furtado MV, Moraes RS et al. Absence of association between hypertension and epistaxis: a population-based study. Blood Pressure 2003; 12: 145–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wiehe M, Fuchs SC, Moreira LB, Moraes RS, Fuchs FD . Migraine is more frequent in individuals with optimal and normal blood pressure: a population-based study. J Hypertens 2002; 20: 1303–1306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Gus M, Fuchs SC, Moreira LB, Moraes RS, Wiehe M, Silva AF et al. The association between different measurements of obesity and the incidence of hypertension. Am J Hyperten 2004; 17: 50–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Duncan BB, Schmidt MI, Polanczyk CA, Homrich CS, Rosa RS, Achutti AC . Risk factors for non-communicable diseases in a metropolitan area in the south of Brazil. Prevalence and simultaneity. Rev Saude Publica 1993; 27: 43–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, Cushman WC, Green LA, Izzo JL et al. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: The JNC 7 Report. JAMA 2003; 289: 2560–2571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Zimmermann M . Interview Guide for Evaluating DSM-IV. Psychiatric Disorders and the Mental Status Examination 1994.

  27. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC, 1994.

  28. Zhang J, Yu KF . What's the relative risk? A method of correcting the odds ratio in cohort studies of common outcomes. JAMA 1998; 280: 1960–1961.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wells KB, Golding JM, Burnam MA . Chronic medical conditions in a sample of the general population with anxiety, affective, and substance use disorders. Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146: 1440–1446.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Gaynes BN, Burns BJ, Tweed DL, Pennifer E . Depression and health-related quality of life. J Nerv Ment Dis 2002; 190: 799–806.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Whooley MA, Browner WS . Association between depressive symptoms and mortality in older women. Arch Intern Med 1998; 158: 2129–2135.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Siever LJ, Davis KL . Overview: toward a dysregulation hypothesis of depression. Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142: 1017–1031.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Zigelstein RC, Bush DE, Fauerbach JA . Depression, adherence behavior, and coronary disease outcomes. Arch Intern Med 1998; 158: 808–809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Carney RM, Freedland KE, Eisen SA, Rich MW, Jaffe AS . Major depression and medication adherence in elderly patients with coronary artery disease. Health Psychol 1995; 14: 88–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Räikkönen K, Matthews KA, Kuller LH . Trajectory of psychological risk and incident hypertension in middle-aged women. Hypertension 2001; 38: 798–802.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Yan LL, Liu K, Matthews KA, Daviglus ML, Ferguson TF, Kiefe CI . Psychosocial factors and risk of hypertension: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. JAMA 2003; 290: 2138–2148.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    M Wiehe, R S Moraes, G M Pereira, M Gus & F D Fuchs

  2. Department of Social Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    S C Fuchs

  3. Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    L B Moreira

Authors
  1. M Wiehe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S C Fuchs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L B Moreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R S Moraes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G M Pereira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M Gus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F D Fuchs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F D Fuchs.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wiehe, M., Fuchs, S., Moreira, L. et al. Absence of association between depression and hypertension: results of a prospectively designed population-based study. J Hum Hypertens 20, 434–439 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002017

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002017

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links