The Relationship between Anxiety, Depression and 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Hotel Employees / 農村醫學 地域保健

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Anxiety and depression are known to be associated with hypertension, and blood pressure can vary spontaneously throughout the day. The aim of this study was to evaluate anxiety, depression and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (24-h ambulatory BP) in employees at their worksite. METHODS: A total of 107 volunteers among 136 employees at a hotel in Gyeongju, Korea were enrolled in this study between December 2009 and March 2010. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess anxiety and depression, respectively. Blood pressure was measured using a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring system. RESULTS: No significant differences in either BAI or BDI scores were found when hypertensive individuals were compared to normotensive individuals. The frequency of diastolic non-dipper was significantly higher in individuals with depressive symptoms compared to those without (p<0.05). Depression was significantly associated with diastolic non-dipper (OR 6.85, 95% CI 1.50-30.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that depression should be considered when deciding upon blood pressure control regimens, and appropriate additive psychotherapy may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertensive patients.