A recent study was published in Circulation by Dr. Freiberg's team that highlights the role of HIV and depression in cardiovascular outcomes. This study was the first to conclude that major depressive disorder (MDD) is an independent risk factor for heart failure in adults with HIV. Prior to this study, background research found that depression was a common comorbidity, but previous studies did not look at MDD as an independent risk factor.
Over 80,000 participants from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) were categorized into four groups: HIV-negative without MDD; HIV-negative with MDD; HIV-positive without MDD; and HIV-positive with MDD. Follow-up lasted for 5.8 years. Heart failure rates were the highest among HIV-positive participants with MDD.
Dr. Freiberg emphasized the importance of screening for, diagnosing, and treating depression, particularly among HIV-positive patients, to better minimize the risk of heart failure.
This work was recently highlighted in Research News @ Vanderbilt.
