%0 Journal Article %J J Aging Health %D 2017 %T Role of Late-Life Depression in the Association of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease With All-Cause Mortality: Cardiovascular Health Study. %A Armstrong, Nicole M %A Carlson, Michelle C %A Xue, Qian-Li %A Schrack, Jennifer %A Carnethon, Mercedes R %A Chaves, Paulo H M %A Gross, Alden L %X

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether late-life depression mediates the association of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) with all-cause mortality.

METHOD: Using data from 3,473 Cardiovascular Health Study participants, the Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine the direct and indirect (via late-life depression) effects of the association between baseline subclinical CVD and all-cause mortality with weights derived from multivariable logistic regression of late-life depression on subclinical CVD.

RESULTS: Subclinical CVD led to a higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.51, 95% confidence interval, [CI] = [1.42, 1.94]). Total effect of subclinical CVD on all-cause mortality was decomposed into direct (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = [1.37, 1.58]) and indirect (HR = 1.07, 95% CI = [1.01, 1.23]) effects; 16.3% of the total effect of subclinical CVD on all-cause mortality was mediated by late-life depression.

DISCUSSION: Late-life depression accounts for little, if any, of the association between subclinical CVD, a risk factor of all-cause mortality, and all-cause mortality.

%B J Aging Health %P 898264317744921 %8 2017 Nov 01 %G eng %R 10.1177/0898264317744921