Prospective association between depressive symptoms and blood-pressure related outcomes in Kosovo.

ABSTRACT: Kosovo has the lowest life expectancy in the Western Balkans, where cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for over half of all deaths. Depression also contributes to disability in the country, with a prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms reported as high as 42% in the general population. Although the mechanisms are not yet well understood, evidence suggests that depression is an independent risk factor for CVD. Our study assessed the prospective association between depressive symptoms and blood pressure (BP)-related outcomes among primary healthcare users in Kosovo to understand the role of BP in the relationship between depression and CVD. We included 648 primary healthcare users from the KOSCO study. The presence of depressive symptoms was defined as moderate to very severe depressiv

SUBMITTER: Obas KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10081745 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature