A study on depression in patients with chest pain

Objective To evaluate the prevalence of depression in patients with chest pain and undergoing scheduled percutaneous coronary intervention and to study the risk factors of depression in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Totally, 154 patients with scheduled coronary intervention according in line with the inclusion criteria were enrolled. All patients were scored by self-rating depression scale (SDS) two days before coronary angiography (CAG). Results Fifty-one (43.2%) of 118 patients with CAD and eight (22.2%) of 36 patients without CAD had depression, with a statistically significant difference (P0.05). Odds ratio (OR) for CAD in patients with depression was 2.44, with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.01~5.90 (P=0.047). OR for depression in CAD patients with diabetes mellitus, severe angina pectoris, worse heart function, negative life events and higher level of income was 2.85 (95%CI 1.21~6.73, P=0.017), 2.84 (95%CI 1.09~7.39, P=0.033), 3.97 (95%CI 1.23~12.79, P=0.021), 3.57 (95%CI 1.32~9.66, P=0.012) and 0.29 (95%CI 0.09~0.88, P=0.029), respectively. There was no significant difference in the severity of diseased vessels between CAD patients with or without depression. Conclusions Depression was an independent risk factor for CAD, with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with CAD. Diabetes mellitus, severe angina pectoris, worse heart function and negative life events were all risk factors of depression in patients with CAD, and higher level of income in patients was a protective factor. Depression was not related to the severity of coronary artery lesions.