We systematically searched published empirical research on depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and found 494 unique articles published in 2009. Herein, we present selected provocative findings or interesting controversies, and, where appropriate, we discuss the clinical implications of these findings.
Objective
To examine gender differences in the association between beliefs in heart disease preventability and 10-year incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a population-based sample.
Methods
2,688 non-institutionalized Nova Scotians without prior CHD enrolled in the Nova Scotia Health Study (NSHS95) and were followed for 10 years. Risk factors, health behaviors and incident CHD were assessed. Participants responded “yes” or “no” to a question about heart disease preventability.Survival models, adjusted for age, income,total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure, were used to estimate the relation between health belief and incident CHD. Gender differences in the relation between health beliefs and health behaviors were assessed.
Results
Gender was a significant moderator of the relation between belief and CHD incidence;specifically,women who believed heart disease could be prevented were less likely to have incident CHD events compared to women who believed heart disease could be not prevented (HR=0.36, 95% CI0.24-0.55, p <.001). This relation was not found for men. Belief was also related to smoking behavior for women (β = −0.70, OR= 0.50, 95% CI = 0.33-0.74, p =.001), but not men. Smoking significantly mediated the relation between health beliefs and incident CHD for women (z = −1.96, p =.05), but not for men.
Conclusion
Health belief in prevention and subsequent smokingwas an important independent predictor of incident coronary heart disease in women, but not men.
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