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. 2022 Sep 15;17(9):e0274271.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274271. eCollection 2022.

The bidirectional association between depressive symptoms, assessed by the HADS, and albuminuria-A longitudinal population-based cohort study with repeated measures from the HUNT2 and HUNT3 Study

Lise Tuset Gustad  1   2   3 , Anna Marie Holand  4   5 , Torfinn Hynnekleiv  6 , Ottar Bjerkeset  1   7 , Michael Berk  8   9 , Solfrid Romundstad  3   10
Affiliations

The bidirectional association between depressive symptoms, assessed by the HADS, and albuminuria-A longitudinal population-based cohort study with repeated measures from the HUNT2 and HUNT3 Study

Lise Tuset Gustad et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Both albuminuria and depression are associated with cardiovascular disease, reflecting low-grade systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. They share risk factors including weight, blood pressure, smoking and blood glucose levels. This longitudinal study aimed to examine bidirectional associations between depression symptoms, indexed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), and the inflammation marker albuminuria.

Methods: 2909 persons provided urine samples in both the second (HUNT2, 1995-97) and third wave (HUNT3, 2006-2008) of the Trøndelag Health Survey, Norway. We used a generalized linear regression model (GLM) and ANOVA to assess the association between albuminuria levels (exposure HUNT2) with depression symptoms (outcome in HUNT3); and between depression symptoms (exposure HUNT2) with albuminuria (outcome HUNT3). Depression symptoms were measured with the HADS Depression Scale, analyzed utilising the full 7 items version and analyses restricted to the first 4 items (HADS-D and HADS-4). We accounted for confounders including baseline individual levels of the exposure variables.

Results: In this 10-years follow-up study, we found no statistical evidence for an association between baseline depression symptoms and subsequent albuminuria, nor between baseline albuminuria and subsequent depression symptoms. For albuminuria, only 0.04% was explained by prior depression, and for depression, only 0.007% was explained by previous albuminuria levels. The results were essentially the same for the shorter HADS-4 measure.

Conclusion: There does not appear to be a longitudinal association between albuminuria and depression measured by the HADS.

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Conflict of interest statement

MB has received Grant/Research Support from the NIH, Cooperative Research Centre, Simons Autism Foundation, Cancer Council of Victoria, Stanley Medical Research Foundation, Medical Benefits Fund, National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Futures Fund, Beyond Blue, Rotary Health, A2 milk company, Meat and Livestock Board, Woolworths, Avant and the Harry Windsor Foundation, has been a speaker for Astra Zeneca, Lundbeck, Merck, Pfizer, and served as a consultant to Allergan, Astra Zeneca, Bioadvantex, Bionomics, Collaborative Medicinal Development, Lundbeck Merck, Pfizer and Servier – all unrelated to this work. The COIs does not put a restriction on PLOS ONEs policies. See Availability of data and materials for details on how to access the data.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow chart of recruitment of the participants in the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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