A history of depression was associated with a 14% higher risk for incident heart failure (HF) than no history of depression in a new study, even after adjusting for known HF risk factors and sociodemographic data.

"Depression is a leading cause of disability around the world, affecting 4.4% of the world's population (322 million people), and this rate continues to increase. Thus, depression remains a widely prevalent disease and a risk factor for HF that may be modifiable," the investigators wrote.

The study was led by Jamie L. Pfaff, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. It was published online on May 8 in JAMA Network Open.

This retrospective study relied on older electronic health record data and billing codes through 2015, which may have led to misclassification bias. It lacked detailed information on depression treatment and socioeconomic risk factors, and it did not compare depression with other mental health conditions linked to cardiovascular risk.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. One investigator reported receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health during the conduct of the study.