Association of Depressive Symptoms and Heart Rate Variability in Vietnam War-Era Twins: A Longitudinal Twin Difference Study.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Depressive symptoms are associated with lower heart rate variability (HRV), an index of autonomic dysregulation, but the direction of the association remains unclear.

Objective

To investigate the temporal association between depression and HRV.

Design, settings, and participants

A longitudinal, cross-lagged twin difference study, with baseline assessments from March 2002 to March 2006 (visit 1) and a 7-year follow-up (visit 2) at an academic research center with participants recruited from a national twin registry. Twins (n = 166) from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, who served in the US military during the Vietnam War, and were discordant for depression at baseline were recruited.

Main outcomes and measures

At both visits, depressive symptoms were me

SUBMITTER: Huang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6059565 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature