Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Race/Ethnicity, and Coronary Artery Disease Among Older Patients with Depression

Objectives Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are both associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in older adults. It is unclear whether PTSD is associated with CAD among older patients with depression, particularly ethnic/racial minority patients. We examined how PTSD relates to CAD in older depressed patients and how this relationship differed by race/ethnicity. Methods Medical records were used to identify White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian/Alaskan Native patients ( n = 24,719; ages 60–96 years) with chronic depression. Adjusted logistic regressions were conducted to assess the cross-sectional association between PTSD and CAD in each racial/ethnic group. Results Among depressed Black patients, PTSD was associated with a 29 % increase in odds for CAD [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.29; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.01, 1.66]. Conversely, PTSD was associated with decreased odds for CAD among Whites (AOR = 0.90; 95 % CI: 0.84, 0.98) and Hispanics (AOR = 0.65; 95 % CI: 0.44, 0.94). PTSD was not significantly associated with CAD in Asian or American Indian/Alaskan Native patients. Conclusion The relationship between PTSD and CAD varied among depressed patients according to race/ethnicity. Older Black adults with depression may be at increased risk for CAD if they have comorbid PTSD.