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Medical comorbidity in late-life depression.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Taylor, WD; McQuoid, DR; Krishnan, KRR
Published in: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry
October 2004

OBJECTIVES: Medical comorbidity is common in elderly patients with depression, however the difference between depressed and non-depressed elderly populations is not well established. Additionally, differences between subgroups of depressed populations, including those with MRI-defined vascular depression and those with late-onset compared with early-onset depression are not well described. METHODS: We compared self-report of medical disorders between 370 depressed elders and 157 non-depressed control subjects. Subjects were additionally dichotomized based on presence or absence of subcortical MRI lesions and age of onset. Medical comorbidity was assessed by self report only, and depressed subjects were additionally assessed by the clinician-rated Cumulative Illness Rating Scale. RESULTS: When compared with the non-depressed group, depressed subjects were significantly more likely to report the presence of hypertension, heart disease, gastrointestinal ulcers, and 'hardening of the arteries'. Analyses of subjects with subcortical disease demonstrated they were significantly older, more likely to have depression, and more likely to report the presence of hypertension. Finally, the depressed cohort with late-onset depression (occurring after age 50 years) had more male subjects, exhibited greater CIRS scores, and greater prevalence of hypertension, but these did not reach a level of statistical significance after applying a Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular comorbidities are common in depressed elders. The differences in the report of hypertension supports past work investigating a vascular contribution to late-life depression. Given the association between depression and poor medical outcomes of cardiac disease, this population deserves clinical scrutiny and further research.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0885-6230

Publication Date

October 2004

Volume

19

Issue

10

Start / End Page

935 / 943

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Stomach Ulcer
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Hypertension
  • Humans
  • Heart Diseases
  • Health Status
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Depression
 

Citation

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Taylor, W. D., McQuoid, D. R., & Krishnan, K. R. R. (2004). Medical comorbidity in late-life depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 19(10), 935–943. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.1186
Taylor, Warren D., Douglas R. McQuoid, and K Ranga Rama Krishnan. “Medical comorbidity in late-life depression.Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 19, no. 10 (October 2004): 935–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.1186.
Taylor WD, McQuoid DR, Krishnan KRR. Medical comorbidity in late-life depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;19(10):935–43.
Taylor, Warren D., et al. “Medical comorbidity in late-life depression.Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, vol. 19, no. 10, Oct. 2004, pp. 935–43. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/gps.1186.
Taylor WD, McQuoid DR, Krishnan KRR. Medical comorbidity in late-life depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;19(10):935–943.
Journal cover image

Published In

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

DOI

ISSN

0885-6230

Publication Date

October 2004

Volume

19

Issue

10

Start / End Page

935 / 943

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Stomach Ulcer
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Hypertension
  • Humans
  • Heart Diseases
  • Health Status
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Depression