Whether anxiety and depression are associated with hypertension and to what extent is not clear.

The aim of the present study was to assess any differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression among different groups of hypertensive patients.

The study cohort comprised of 127 patients (75 male, mean age 54 ± 14) who underwent assessment of their blood pressure levels and were divided in four groups: group I (normotensives, n = 34), group II (stage 1 HTN, n = 33), group III (stage 2 HTN, n = 30) and group IV (stage 3 HTN, n = 30). The evaluation of anxiety disorder was made by means of Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), while the evaluation of depression was made with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Statistical analysis was done with SPSS for windows. P-value was set at 0.05 for differences to be considered significant.

Comparing the four groups of patients there was a significant difference both in BDI (8.6 ± 7.0 vs. 11.6 ± 10.4 vs. 27.1 ± 5.8 vs. 32.4 ± 3.9, P < 0.0001) and HADS (10.2 ± 7.2 vs. 9.7 ± 7.0 vs. 16 ± 4.7 vs. 27 ± 5.1, P < 0.0001). We proceeded to comparison among the 4 groups and there was a significant rise in the BDI and HADS in three of the four groups group II > group III > group IV, P < 0.0001.

These data suggest that there is a clear burden of anxiety and depression as the levels of BP increase. This finding is of important clinical significance as it could contribute to a different approach of hypertensive patients. A larger cohort study could enlightened the mechanisms involved.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.