Depression and Anxiety Symptoms and Cardiovascular Disease in an Over−Fifty Rural Population

Background. This study was part of a research project in psychiatry at the Center of Epidemiology entitled ”Occurrence of psychotic disorders in the rural area of Boguszyce with regard to somatic diseases and the socio− economic situation of the residents.” Objectives. The aim was to assess symptoms of depression and anxiety and the occurrence of cardiovascular dis− ease among the rural sample over 50 years of age. Material and Methods. Residents of the village of Boguszyce 50 years of age or over were examined. To assess the occurrence and intensity of symptoms of depression and anxiety, the HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), consisting of two subscales, one assessing symptoms of anxiety (HADS−A) and the other of depression (HADS−D), each with seven statements, was used. The occurrence of hypertension, stroke, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and heart failure were also analyzed. Results. In this sample, similarly to the general population, the intensity of symptoms of anxiety and depression was higher in women; moreover, the intensity of symptoms of depression increased with age. Interestingly, in this study population the individuals who did not suffer from hypertension had severe symptoms of anxiety more fre− quently. No relationship was found between the occurrence and number of cardiovascular diseases and the inten− sity of symptoms of depression and anxiety. Conclusions. There is a need for diagnosing and directed treatment of emotional disturbances in the group of psy− chosomatically ill individuals, particularly in the group over 50 years of age; however, the connection requires fur− ther studies (Adv Clin Exp Med 2007, 16, 4, 513–518).