Added burden of major depressive disorder on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among patients with cardiovascular disease and the modifying effects of antidepressants: A national retrospective cohort study

Background: : To evaluate the likelihood of a future cardiovascular event (i.e., in-hospital mortality or cardiovascular disease [CVD] complications/interventions) among patients with CVD and major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to those without MDD, and the antidepressant use on future cardiovascular events between the two groups. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort with propensity score matching with 8941 patients with CVD and MDD, and 8941 non-MDD patients using data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database from 1999 to 2013 in Taiwan. The outcome was in-hospital mortality and the incidence of revascularization (i.e., percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty [PTCA] and coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG]). Results: : Patients with CVD and MDD were more likely to need revascularization (an adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.26 and 95% CI: 1.12-1.43) than those without MDD, regardless of whether PTCA (aHR: 1.23 and 95% CI: 1.07-1.40) or CABG (aHR: 1.60 and 95% CI: 1.16-2.21) had occurred. Antidepressant use was associated with a tendency of reduced risk of mortality (aHR: 0.92 and 95% CI: 0.84-1.00). Although the magnitude of aHR ranged from 0.92 to 0.95 with revascularization, they did not reach significant levels. Limitations: Some covariates could not be controlled because they were not included in the national register dataset, and the causality is limited in an observational study. Conclusions: Patients with CVD with MDD are more likely to experience a cardiovascular complication requiring intervention than CVD patients without MDD. Antidepressant use is associated with reduced in-hospital mortality.