Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of REGARDS Cohort Members Who Were Free of CVD,a by Baseline Depressive Symptoms (CES‐D)
| Characteristics | Overall (n=22 666) | CES‐D Score ≥4 (n=2267) | CES‐D Score <4 (n=20 399) | P Valueb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics | ||||
| Age, y, mean±SD | 63.9±9.3 | 62.2±9.7 | 64.1±9.2 | <0.001 |
| Sex, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Female | 13 321 (58.8) | 1675 (73.9) | 11 646 (57.1) | |
| Race, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Black | 9444 (41.7) | 1183 (52.2) | 8261 (40.5) | |
| Education, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Less than high school | 2466 (10.9) | 484 (21.4) | 1982 (9.7) | |
| High school graduate | 5718 (25.2) | 692 (30.5) | 5026 (24.7) | |
| Some college | 6127 (27.0) | 592 (26.1) | 5535 (27.1) | |
| College graduate and higher | 8343 (36.8) | 498 (22.0) | 7845 (38.5) | |
| Annual household income, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Less than $20 000 | 3705 (16.3) | 768 (33.9) | 2937 (14.4) | |
| $20 000 to $34 999 | 5314 (23.4) | 573 (25.3) | 4741 (23.2) | |
| $35 000 to $74 999 | 6965 (30.7) | 443 (19.5) | 6522 (32.0) | |
| $75 000 and above | 3908 (17.2) | 168 (7.4) | 3740 (18.3) | |
| Declined to report | 2771 (12.2) | 315 (13.9) | 2456 (12.0) | |
| No health insurance, n (%) | 1642 (7.3) | 307 (13.5) | 1335 (6.6) | <0.001 |
| Region,c n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Stroke belt | 7832 (34.6) | 850 (37.5) | 6982 (34.2) | |
| Stroke buckle | 4776 (21.1) | 533 (23.5) | 4243 (20.8) | |
| Not stroke belt or buckle | 10 055 (44.4) | 884 (39.0) | 9171 (45.0) | |
| Physiological risk factors | ||||
| Body mass index, kg/m2, mean±SD | 29.3±6.2 | 30.5±7.0 | 29.2±6.1 | <0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus,d n (%) | 4051 (18.6) | 560 (25.6) | 3491 (17.8) | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg, mean±SD | 126.8±16.3 | 127.5±17.4 | 126.7±16.2 | 0.0370 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dL, mean±SD | 195.7±39.0 | 198.2±41.0 | 195.4±38.8 | 0.0014 |
| High‐density lipoprotein, mg/dL, mean±SD | 53.0±16.3 | 54.0±16.3 | 52.9±16.3 | 0.0027 |
| QT interval, corrected for heart rate, ms, mean±SD | 406.0±22.2 | 408.0±21.8 | 405.8±22.2 | <0.001 |
| High‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, mg/L, median (IQR) | 2.2 [0.9–4.9] | 2.9 [1.2–6.6] | 2.1 [0.9–4.7] | <0.001 |
| Albumin to creatinine ratio, mg/g, median (IQR) | 7.0 [4.5–13.9] | 7.4 [4.8–15.4] | 7.0 [4.5–13.8] | <0.001 |
| Medications | ||||
| Antihypertensive medication use, n (%) | 10 589 (47.2) | 1184 (52.9) | 9405 (46.6) | <0.001 |
| Statin use, n (%) | 5626 (24.9) | 571 (25.3) | 5055 (24.8) | 0.6555 |
| Aspirin use, n (%) | 8282 (36.6) | 800 (35.3) | 7482 (36.7) | 0.1947 |
| Antidepressant use, n (%) | 2913 (12.9) | 600 (26.6) | 2313 (11.4) | <0.001 |
| Behavioral risk factors | ||||
| Self‐reported smoking, pack years, mean±SD | 11.3±20.3 | 12.5±22.0 | 11.2±20.1 | 0.0031 |
| Alcohol use, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| Heavy | 964 (4.3) | 97 (4.4) | 867 (4.3) | |
| Moderate | 7595 (34.2) | 617 (28.0) | 6978 (34.8) | |
| None | 13 676 (61.5) | 1490 (67.6) | 12 186 (60.8) | |
| Physical inactivity, n (%) | 7303 (32.7) | 997 (44.5) | 6306 (31.4) | <0.001 |
| Medication nonadherence, n (%) | 5916 (29.2) | 773 (37.5) | 5143 (28.3) | <0.001 |
CES‐D indicates Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; CVD, cardiovascular disease; IQR, interquartile range; REGARDS, REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke.
CVD defined as baseline coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, or aortic aneurysm.
P values from chi‐square or student t tests.
“Stroke belt” is defined as the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the noncoastal regions within the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. “Stroke buckle” is defined as coastal regions within the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Diabetes is defined as fasting blood glucose ≥126 mL/dL, random glucose >200 mL/dL, or oral hypoglycemic or insulin use.