Abstract P085: Effects of Psychological Factors on the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Adolescents

The association of psychological factors with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has been reported before. However, few studies have evaluated whether psychological factors are associated with increased risk of CVD in adolescents with longitudinal design. Our hypothesis is that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression may increase the risk of CVD by changing its risk factors in adolescents. A total of 746 students at a high school 10 km away from the epicenter of Wenchuan earthquake were enrolled 6 months after the earthquake, and was followed up at 18 months. A total of 737 (98.8%) students completed the study 6 months after the earthquake. In the 18-month follow-up, 478 (64.1%) students completed the study. PTSD was assessed using PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression. Fasting blood samples were collected. Serum variables of lipid and glucose metabolism were analyzed. The prevalences of PTSD symptoms were 10.6% and 1.9% at 6- and 18-month follow-up respectively. At 6- and 18-month follow-up, 40.7% and 30.3% of the students were found to have depression. The subjects with PTSD had significantly higher BMI ( p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p