The association between levels of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and comorbid depression in patients with cardiovascular disease: The Framingham Heart Study

Abstract

AimThe current study aims to investigate the association of serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels with symptoms of depression in adults with and without prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD), an often burdensome comorbidity.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study included participants from FHS (Framingham Heart Study) who had available serum BDNF levels. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES‐D) with a score ≥16 indicating mild to moderate and ≥21 severe depression. Participants taking antidepressant medications were excluded from the study.ResultsAltogether 3716 FHS participants were included in the final analysis (mean age, 64.3 ± 11.5 years; 55% women). After adjusting for potential confounders, greater BDNF levels were associated with reduced severe depression risk (odds ratio [OR], 0.78 [95% CI, 0.64–0.96]; P = 0.016). Among participants with CVD, greater BDNF levels were related to lower risk of depressive symptoms (CES‐D ≥ 16 OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.45–0.89], P = 0.008; CES‐D ≥ 21 OR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.31–0.76], P = 0.002). The inverse relationship between BDNF and depressive symptom risk was present in women with CVD (CES‐D ≥ 16 OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.40–0.99], P = 0.047; CES‐D ≥ 21 OR, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.21–0.70], P = 0.002) but not in men.ConclusionLower serum BDNF levels are associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms in CVD, particularly among women. These findings implicate BDNF in the complex biological mechanisms that underlie prior associations observed between CVD and depression. To reduce the burden of depression in the large proportion of midlife and older adults with CVD, a better understanding of how BDNF may modify these pathways is merited.

Cardiovascular disease, and major depression: Study on both diseases and serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

“…The results showed that serum BDNF concentrations were negatively associated with depressive symptoms in patients with CVD, but this association was found only in women. 3 Unfortunately, this study did not elucidate why such a correlation was observed in women and not in men. Future studies should be comprehensive, including platelet function and vascular endothelial cell function, where serum BDNF is most abundantly stored in patients with MD and CVD.…”

“…2 It is known that patients with CVD are more likely to suffer from depression, and serum BDNF levels have been reported to be associated with various diseases including CVD in addition to depression. In this paper, Medved et al 3 demonstrated the association between serum BDNF concentrations and depressive symptoms in patients with and without CVD in the Framingham Heart Study, which included 3716 participants. The results showed that serum BDNF concentrations were negatively associated with depressive symptoms in patients with CVD, but this association was found only in women.…”