Prospective association between depressive symptoms and incident hypertension: Results from the Hispanic community health study/study of Latinos

Objective: Previous research on depressive symptoms with incident hypertension has yielded mixed results, and this relationship has not been studied in a diverse group of Hispanic/Latino adults. Methods: We studied 5927 Hispanic/Latino adults aged 18-74 years from four U.S. cities who attended baseline (2008-2011) and follow-up (2014-2017) examinations of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Baseline depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10; clinically relevant depressive symptoms were defined as >= 10 points. Blood pressure (BP) was measured using a standardized protocol at both examinations. Hypertension was defined as measured systolic BP >= 130 mmHg, or diastolic BP >= 80 mmHg, or self-reported antihypertension medication use. Analyses accounted for the complex survey design. Results: Among 5927 persons without hypertension at baseline, the six-year age-adjusted incidence rates of hypertension were 40 and 31 per 1000 person-years among those with and without elevated depressive symptoms, respectively. Persons with elevated depressive symptoms had a 25 % (p = .003) higher 6-year incidence of hypertension than those with fewer symptoms, after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. There was an interaction between depressive symptoms and age (p(interaction) < 0.05). Among adults aged 18-34 years without hypertension at baseline (n = 1748), those with elevated depressive symptoms had 80 % higher 6-year incidence of hypertension than those with fewer symptoms (p = .001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that depressive symptoms are a risk factor for hypertension in young Hispanic/Latino adults. Early screening and treatment of depressive symptoms may aid in the prevention of hypertension.