BACKGROUND: Altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning may help to explain the relationship between depression and cardiac mortality. Heart rate (HR) recovery after the cessation of a treadmill stress test assesses ANS functioning and predicts mortality. This study examined the relationship between depression symptoms and HR recovery among patients entering phase II cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: Two hundred sixty patients were assessed at the time of their enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation. Patients completed a ramped-protocol treadmill stress test, providing an assessment of exercise capacity and HR recovery at 2 minutes post exercise. Depression symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory. Other medical information was obtained by chart review. RESULTS: Patients with higher Beck Depression Inventory scores exhibited slower HR recovery after exercise. This remained true after controlling for age, sex, and beta-blocker usage. Controlling for exercise capacity rendered the relationship between depression score and HR recovery non significant, suggesting that exercise capacity may partly account for this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm that depression is characterized by dysregulation of the ANS and implicate impaired exercise capacity as a potential mechanism.
BACKGROUND: Altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning may help to explain the relationship between depression and cardiac mortality. Heart rate (HR) recovery after the cessation of a treadmill stress test assesses ANS functioning and predicts mortality. This study examined the relationship between depression symptoms and HR recovery among patients entering phase II cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: Two hundred sixty patients were assessed at the time of their enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation. Patients completed a ramped-protocol treadmill stress test, providing an assessment of exercise capacity and HR recovery at 2 minutes post exercise. Depression symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory. Other medical information was obtained by chart review. RESULTS:Patients with higher Beck Depression Inventory scores exhibited slower HR recovery after exercise. This remained true after controlling for age, sex, and beta-blocker usage. Controlling for exercise capacity rendered the relationship between depression score and HR recovery non significant, suggesting that exercise capacity may partly account for this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm that depression is characterized by dysregulation of the ANS and implicate impaired exercise capacity as a potential mechanism.
Authors: Kristin J Horsley; Codie R Rouleau; Sheila N Garland; Charles Samuels; Sandeep G Aggarwal; James A Stone; Ross Arena; Tavis S Campbell Journal: J Behav Med Date: 2016-03-05
Authors: Therese A Keary; Rachel Galioto; Joel Hughes; Donna Waechter; Mary Beth Spitznagel; James Rosneck; Richard Josephson; John Gunstad Journal: Cardiovasc Psychiatry Neurol Date: 2012-09-04