Cardiovascular disease risk factors and depression in Korean women: results from the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Depression is the fourth leading factor of disease burden for the global female population, but while increasing evidence has supported a contributing role of depression in cardiovascular disease, little is known about this association within the female population of Korea. We examined the association in a study of 5658 Korean women who participated in the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 279 cases of depression were included. Cardiovascular disease risk factors were associated with higher odds of depression: ORs (95% CIs) were 3.99 (2.25-7.05) for current smokers with <5 pack-years vs. never-smokers, 1.97 (1.18-3.30) for ≥28 vs. <20kg/m(2) of body mass index, 1.42 (1.03-1.95) for 100-125 vs. <100mg/dL of fasting serum glucose levels, and 2.10 (1.46-3.03) for a history of hyperlipidemia. Women with a history of two or three comorbid disorders (diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease) had a 1.63-fold higher OR for depression than women without any of these diseases. Korean women with depression had a greater prevalence of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease than women without depression.