TITLE:
Influence of Treatments for Depression and Sleep Quality on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure in Individuals with Hypertension and Depression
AUTHORS:
Marcello Finardi Peixoto, Mario Luis Ribeiro Cesaretti, Agostinho Tavares
KEYWORDS:
Hypertension, Heart Rate, Depression, Escitalopram, Sleep, Anxiety
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Neuroscience,
Vol.5 No.2,
May
27,
2015
ABSTRACT: Objective: To observe the
influence of the treatment of depression on the regularization of blood
pressure and heart rate of individuals with hypertension and depression.
Methods: A total of 30 individuals who were being treated for hypertension were
diagnosed for depression participated in this study. Escitalopram (10 - 20 mg)
was administered to 15 individuals, while the other 15 received placebo. These
individuals were followed for 8 weeks with regular monitoring of blood pressure
and heart rate. Scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were evaluated
within the first, second, fourth, and eighth weeks of the study onset. The same
30 individuals were further divided into groups who had or had not undergone
depression remission, regardless of whether the individual was receiving the
active drug or placebo. Likewise, in order to observe the influence of sleep
regularization, the patients were divided into groups based on whether their
sleep quality had improved.
Results: There was a significant decrease in the average systolic blood pressure of the normal-sleep group
(-20.07 ± 13.45 vs. -9.43 ± 14.87 mmHg, p = 0.04). Heart rate was lower in the
escitalopram than in the placebo group: 66.88 ± 9.62 vs. 74.19 ± 9.55 bpm, p =
0.04. Conclusion: Treatment with escitalopram decreased heart rate, improved
sleep quality, and decreased blood pressure.