Cardiovascular disease, depressive symptoms, and heart failure in Mexican American aged 75 years and older during 12 years of follow up

Objective: To examine the relationship of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and high depressive symptoms (HDS) with heart failure (HF) among Mexican American older adults without HF at baseline over 12-years of follow-up. Methods: A 12-year prospective cohort study of 1,018 Mexicans Americans aged 75 and older from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (2004–2016). Measures included socio-demographics, CVD (heart attack or stroke), HDS, smoking status, body mass index, cognitive function, and HF. Participants were grouped into: CVD and HDS (n = 11), CVD only (n = 122), HDS only (n = 44), and no CVD or HDS (n = 841). Odds ratio (OR) and 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) of HF over time were estimated using the Generalized Estimating Equation. Results: Participants with CVD and HDS and those with HDS only had greater odds (OR=4.70, 95 %CI=1.98–11.2 and OR=3.26, 95 %CI=1.82–5.84, respectively) of HF over time, after controlling for all covariates. No significant association was found between CVD only and HF (OR=1.25, 95 %CI=0.90–1.76). Conclusion: Mexican American older adults with HDS only or both HDS and CVD were at high risk of HF. Appropriate management of CVD and depressive symptoms may reduce the onset of HF among this population.