Patients with Depression are at Increased Risk for Secondary Cardiovascular Events after Lower Extremity Revascularization

Lower-leg symptoms in peripheral arterial disease are associated with anxiety, depression, and anhedonia

“…anxiety and anhedonia), which seem to be equal in magnitude to the previously documented problem of depressed mood in PAD. [18][19][20] Recently, anxiety has received more attention in cardiac patients 21 ; both depression and anxiety are associated with adverse health outcomes in cardiac patients, 21 and when both mood states are present in an individual patient, the risk of adverse outcomes may be enhanced. 22,23 Anhedonia or lack of positive affect has received less attention in the cardiovascular literature; positive affect reflects the extent to which a person feels enthusiastic, active, and alert, with lack of positive affect being characterized by sadness and lethargy.…”

Impact of peripheral arterial disease on health status: A comparison with chronic heart failure

“…In fact, recent findings indicate that depressive mood is a substantial problem in PAD. 23,24 The reason why there was a discrepancy in mental health status levels between both groups may be that CHF patients have to deal with end of life issues due to the advanced character of their disease. 25 The observed disparity that was found regarding physical health status in both medical conditions may be explained by the occurrence of response shift in patients with more advanced cardiovascular disease.…”

Younger women with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease are at increased risk of depressive symptoms

“…The low proportion of depression treatment in patients with significant depressive symptoms highlights a potential opportunity to improve their treatment, particularly given that previous reports have demonstrated that depressive symptoms are associated with greater physical disability in men and women with PAD 6,7 and with poor prognosis in men with PAD. 8 Apart from the implications for prognosis, depressive symptoms deserve to be treated in their own right to reduce the burden of depression itself. Increasing awareness by clinicians for the increased depressive symptom burden and the potential challenges associated with untreated depressive symptoms among patients with PAD in general, and particularly in younger women with PAD, will be an important first step.…”

“…[4][5][6][7] Depressive symptoms among PAD patients are associated with substantially compromised functional status 6 and poor prognosis. 8 Research in patients with coronary artery disease, and in the general population, suggest that younger women may be at particularly increased risk of experiencing significant depressive symptoms than other gender-age groups. 9 The degree to which depressive symptoms differ as a function of gender and age has not been examined in PAD, but is important to establish because it may mediate the worse health status and poorer outcomes of young women and may emerge as an important potential target for intervention.…”