Anxiety but not depression is associated with elevated blood pressure in acommunity group of French elderly

Objective: This study examined whether anxiety and depression were independ ently associated with elevated blood pressure in elderly persons. Method: T he study group consisted of 1389 subjects aged 59 to 71 years recruited fro m the electoral rolls of the city of Nantes (France). Subjects completed th e Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) and the Spielbe rger Inventory scales to assess depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, r espectively. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, smoki ng and drinking habits, medical history, and drug use. Two measures of syst olic and diastolic blood pressure were taken after a 10-minute rest. Body m ass index was computed from weight and height measurements. Subjects taking antihypertensive drugs (N = 281) were excluded from the present analysis. Results: Depression and anxiety scores were significantly correlated (r = . 61 in men; r = .65 in women; p < .001). In univariate analyses, anxiety sco res were correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in men, but not in women; blood pressure was not associated with depressive symptoms in either sex. Multivariate logistic regressions, controlling for possible co nfounders, showed that in both men and women, the risk of high blood pressu re increased with increasing anxiety scores; odds ratios for high blood pre ssure were less than 1 in subjects with depressive symptomatology. Conclusi ons: This study suggested that anxiety but not depression was independently associated with an increased risk for high blood pressure.