Do young people with a family history of depression show different cardiovascular risk markers?

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Depression is associated with an increased risk of several general medical conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The association is complex and may involve causation in both directions or a shared pathophysiology.

The researchers sought to determine whether young people without depression but at increased familial risk had different metabolic and blood pressure markers from matched controls. They studied 85 young people who had a parent with depression but no personal history of depressive illness (FH+), alongside 69 healthy controls.

To assess cardiovascular risk profiles, they used fasting blood samples to measure insulin, glucose, lipids and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), and measured blood pressure centrally and peripherally. They also measured arterial stiffness and waking cortisol concentration.

Compared with controls, the FH+ group had higher peripheral and central systolic blood pressure, greater arterial stiffness and lower insulin sensitivity. The groups did not differ in measures of lipids, CRP or waking cortisol.

The researchers concluded that young adults at increased familial risk of depression showed evidence of an altered cardiovascular risk profile even without depressive symptoms. They suggested that vulnerability to conditions such as hypertension and diabetes may precede the onset of major depression and may share common risk factors.