@article {7796, title = {Does the association between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular mortality risk vary by race? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Ethn Dis}, volume = {23}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Spring}, pages = {155-60}, publisher = {23}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To test whether the association between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is stronger among Blacks than Whites.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 2,638 Black and 15,132 White participants from a prospective, observational study of community-dwelling Health and Retirement Study participants (a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged > or = 50). Average follow-up was 9.2 years.

OUTCOME MEASURE: Cause of death (per ICD codes) and month of death were identified from National Death Index linkages.

METHODS: The associations between elevated depressive symptoms and mortality from stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD), or total CVD were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). We used interaction terms for race by depressive symptoms to assess effect modification (multiplicative scale).

RESULTS: For both Whites and Blacks, depressive symptoms were associated with a significantly elevated hazard of total CVD mortality (Whites: HR=1.46; 95\% CI: 1.33, 1.61; Blacks: HR=1.42, 95\% CI: 1.10, 1.83). Adjusting for health and socioeconomic covariates, Whites with elevated depressive symptoms had a 13\% excess hazard of CVD mortality (HR=1.13, 95\% CI: 1.03, 1.25) compared to Whites without elevated depressive symptoms. The HR in Blacks was similar, although the confidence interval included the null (HR=1.12, 95\% CI: .86, 1.46). The hazard associated with elevated depressive symptoms did not differ significantly by race (P>.15 for all comparisons). Patterns were similar in analyses restricted to respondents age > or =65.

CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider the depressive state of either Black or White patients as a potential CVD mortality risk factor.

}, keywords = {Aged, Black or African American, Cardiovascular Diseases, depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Proportional Hazards Models, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, White People}, issn = {1049-510X}, author = {Benjamin D Capistrant and Paola Gilsanz and J Robin Moon and Anna Kosheleva and Kristen K Patton and M. Maria Glymour} } @article {7834, title = {Early life predictors of atrial fibrillation-related mortality: evidence from the health and retirement study.}, journal = {Health Place}, volume = {21}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 May}, pages = {133-9}, publisher = {21}, abstract = {

Prior research found that Americans born in 6 southeastern states (the AF-risk zone) had elevated risk of AF-related mortality, but no mechanisms were identified. We hypothesized the association between AF-related mortality and AF-risk zone birth is explained by indicators of childhood social disadvantage or adult risk factors. In 24,323 participants in the US Health and Retirement Study, we found that birth in the AF-risk zone was significantly associated with hazard of AF-related mortality. Among whites, the relationship was specific to place of birth, rather than place of adult residence. Neither paternal education nor subjectively assessed childhood SES predicted AF-related mortality. Conventional childhood and adult cardiovascular risk factors did not explain the association between place of birth and AF-related mortality.

}, keywords = {Aged, Atrial Fibrillation, Child, Geography, Medical, Humans, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Social determinants of health, Socioeconomic factors, Southeastern United States}, issn = {1873-2054}, doi = {10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.12.008}, author = {M. Maria Glymour and Emelia J Benjamin and Anna Kosheleva and Paola Gilsanz and Lesley H Curtis and Kristen K Patton} } @article {7690, title = {Elevated depressive symptoms and incident stroke in Hispanic, African-American, and White older Americans.}, journal = {J Behav Med}, volume = {35}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Apr}, pages = {211-20}, publisher = {35}, abstract = {

Although depressive symptoms have been linked to stroke, most research has been in relatively ethnically homogeneous, predominantly white, samples. Using the United States based Health and Retirement Study, we compared the relationships between elevated depressive symptoms and incident first stroke for Hispanic, black, or white/other participants (N~=~18,648) and estimated the corresponding Population Attributable Fractions. The prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms was higher in blacks (27\%) and Hispanics (33\%) than whites/others (18\%). Elevated depressive symptoms prospectively predicted stroke risk in the whites/other group (HR~=~1.53; 95\% CI: 1.36-1.73) and among blacks (HR~=~1.31; 95\% CI: 1.05-1.65). The HR was similar but only marginally statistically significant among Hispanics (HR~=~1.33; 95\% CI: 0.92-1.91). The Population Attributable Fraction, indicating the percent of first strokes that would be prevented if the incident stroke rate in those with elevated depressive symptoms was the same as the rate for those without depressive symptoms, was 8.3\% for whites/others, 7.8\% for blacks, and 10.3\% for Hispanics.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Black or African American, depression, Female, Health Surveys, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Incidence, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Stroke, United States, White People}, issn = {1573-3521}, doi = {10.1007/s10865-011-9356-2}, author = {M. Maria Glymour and Jessica J. Yen and Anna Kosheleva and J Robin Moon and Benjamin D Capistrant and Kristen K Patton} }