Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of sex differences in depression and prognosis in persons with myocardial infarction: a MINDMAPS study

Objective - Using combined individual patient data (IPD) from prospective studies, we explored sex differences in depression and prognosis post-myocardial infarction (MI), and determined whether disease indices could account for found differences.

Methods - Meta-analysis of IPD from 10,175 MI patients who completed diagnostic interviews or depression questionnaires from 16 prospective studies of MI patients, identified by systematic review for the MINDMAPS study. Multilevel logistic and Cox regression models were used to determine sex differences in prevalence of depression and sex-specific effects of depression on subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality.

Results - Combined interview and questionnaire data from observational studies showed that 36% (635/1760) of women and 29% (1575/5526) of men reported elevated levels of depression (age-adjusted OR=0.68, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.77, p (sex*depression interaction p

Conclusions - The prevalence of depression post-MI was higher in women than men, but the association between depression and cardiac prognosis was worse for men. LVEF was associated with depression in men only, and accounted for the increased risk of all-cause mortality in depressed men versus women, suggesting that depression in men post-MI may in part reflect cardiovascular disease severity.