Cited by 41Stress Responses and CortisolHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlCardiac Health and Mental Health

Circadian affective, cardiopulmonary, and cortisol variability in depressed and nondepressed individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease

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Conrad, Ansgar, Wilhelm, Frank H., Roth, Walton T., Spiegel, David, Taylor, C. Barr·2008·Journal of Psychiatric Research

Abstract

Depression is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) perhaps mediated by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis or vagal dysregulation. We investigated circadian mood variation and HPA-axis and autonomic function in older (55 years) depressed and nondepressed volunteers at risk for CVD by assessing diurnal positive and negative affect (PA, NA), cortisol, and cardiopulmonary variables in 46 moderately depressed and 19 nondepressed volunteers with elevated CVD risk. Participants sat quietly for 5-min periods (10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00, and 21:00), and then completed an electronic diary assessing PA and NA. Traditional and respiration-controlled heart rate variability (HRV) variables were computed for these periods as an index of vagal activity. Salivary cortisols were collected at waking, waking+30min, 12:00, 17:00, and 21:00h. Cortisol peaked in the early morning after waking, and gradually declined over the day, but did not differ between groups. PA was lower and NA was higher in the depressed group throughout the day. HRV did not differ between groups. Negative emotions were inversely related to respiratory sinus arrhythmia in nondepressed participants. We conclude that moderately depressed patients do not show abnormal HPA-axis function. Diurnal PA and NA distinguish depressed from nondepressed individuals at risk for CVD, while measures of vagal regulation, even when controlled for physical activity and respiratory confounds, do not. Diurnal mood variations of older individuals at risk for CVD differ from those reported for other groups and daily fluctuations in NA are not related to cardiac autonomic control in depressed individuals.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.08.003

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Authors
Conrad, A., Wilhelm, F. H., Roth, W. T., Spiegel, D., & Taylor, C. B.
Affiliations
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
  • University of Basel (CH)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Wilhelm, Frank H.
Venue
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-07
Volume
42
Issue
9
Pages
769-777
ISSN
0022-3956 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2105385349
Cited by
41
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
1.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Psychiatric Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • edoc (University of Basel) (submittedVersion)
  • edoc (University of Basel)
Funders
  • Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
  • National Institute on Aging (AG18784, P01AG018784)
  • National Center for Research Resources (M01RR000070)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
Keywords
depression, cardiovascular risk, circadian rhythm, positive affect, negative affect, salivary cortisol, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, heart rate variability, parasympathetic activity, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, autonomic function, older adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Cardiovascular Diseases, Circadian Rhythm, Depression, Electrocardiography, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Saliva

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