Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms in Cardiovascular Diseases in Korean Adults: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2013–2014

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Korea, and the relationship between these diseases, loss of health, and depression is well known. However, there are limited studies in Korea focused on depression and depressive symptoms in cardiovascular diseases. Here, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression in cardiovascular diseases in Korean adults. Methods: We collected data from 12,089 Korean adults who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2013– 2014. We analyzed the association between cardiovascular diseases and depression or depressive symptoms using logistic regression, after adjusting for age; sex; lifestyle-related factors (smoking, alcohol drinking and regular exercise); and education level. Results: In a chi-square test, depression was associated with hypertension; hyperlipidemia; and angina, while depressive symptoms were associated with all cardiovascular disease parameters included in our study. After adjusting for age and sex in a logistic regression analysis, depression associated with hyperlipidemia and angina, while depressive symptoms associated with all cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, depression associated with hypertension; hyperlipidemia; and angina, while depressive symptoms associated with all cardiovascular diseases, after adjusting for lifestylerelated factors. However, on adjusting for the level of education, depression associated only with hyperlipidemia, and depressive symptoms only with hyperlipidemia and stroke. Conclusion: We observed that cardiovascular diseases increased the morbidity related to depression and depressive symptoms in Korean adults.