Evaluation of the Relationship Between Depression, Anxiety, and Stress with Hypertension: Results of a Health Study in Yazd, Iran

Over the past few decades, different epidemiological studies have been conducted on the relationship between mental disorders and hypertension. However, conflicting results have been reported. This research aimed to evaluate the relationship between symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress with hypertension in a large population.

This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted using the results of in Yazd Health Study, Iran (N=9340). In addition, DASS-21 questionnaire was asked from the participants to assess depression, anxiety, and stress. Moreover, logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress with hypertension.

A negative association was observed between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, which were independent from other variables. Regarding systolic blood pressure, a significant and reverse relationship was found in individuals with moderate stress (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69-0.95) and mild depression (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.99). In terms of diastolic blood pressure, subjects with moderate stress had a lower blood pressure, compared to healthy individuals (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.750.99). Furthermore, participants with depression had a lower chance of being diagnosed with hypertension, compared to healthy individuals.

The present research did not confirm the previous assumptions about the relationship between depression, anxiety and stress with hypertension. Our findings showed that symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress are correlated with a low blood pressure.