Association Between Asthma and Depression: A National Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Patients with asthma often suffer from depression and vice versa. However, the temporal relationship between the 2 diseases has remained elusive.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the bidirectional relationship between asthma and depression in adults, using national cohort samples in Korea.

Methods: Using the national cohort from the study by the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, patients with asthma and control participants were selected and matched by age group, sex, income group, region of residence, and medical histories. A stratified Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the hazard ratio (HR) of asthma with depression (study 1) and depression with asthma (study 2).

Results: In study 1, the HR of depressive disorders was significantly higher in patients with asthma than in patients without asthma (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.31-1.40). In study 2, the HR of asthma in patients with depression was significantly higher than that in patients without depression (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.21-1.29).

Conclusion: A bidirectional association between asthma and depression was observed in this study.

Keywords: Adult; Asthma; Cohort study; Depression; Mood disorders.