Depressive Symptoms and Blood Pressure in African American Women: A Secondary Analysis From the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure Study.
Xiaosong Gao, Veronica Barcelona, Andrew DeWan and 4 others
PMID 37707976WHAT IT FOUND
Depressive symptoms were not associated with higher blood pressure in African American women followed over time.
Age, body mass index, marital status, and household income were linked to hypertension. Do not assume mood alone explains blood pressure differences.
Key findings
01The paper reports no statistically significant association between depressive symptoms and increased blood pressure.
02Age, BMI, marital status, and annual household income were significant factors associated with hypertension at the fourth visit.
03The analysis started with 250 women at baseline, 158 remained at the fourth visit, and 137 had complete blood pressure data for the growth model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Attrition was substantial. 51 women were lost between baseline and six months, and only 158 remained at the fourth visit. Depressive symptoms were uncommon in the sample, with 10.8% at baseline using a Beck Depression Inventory cut-off of 10. The lower cut-off reduced ability to distinguish higher levels of depression. The sample was relatively young and limited to African American mothers of a child three to five years old in Connecticut, so it may not apply to older women or other regions. The study was observational and did not test whether treating depression changes blood pressure. The growth model included only participants with complete blood pressure data. It included 137 participants. The text says five variables remained after backwards elimination, but it lists BMI, BDI score, marital status, and annual household income.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating depression will lower blood pressure. This was an observational analysis, not a treatment study. The paper reports no statistically significant association between depressive symptoms and increased blood pressure.