Anxiety and depression moods is involved in the pathogenesis of postural tachycardia syndrome

Abstract

Objective

To explore the significance of anxiety and depression in children with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Study design

The study enrolled seventy-one children diagnosed as POTS in Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and Kaifeng Children’s Hospital, aged 13 ± 2 years; The Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Hamilton Depression (HAMD) scale, and the Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) scale were determined in POTS children. The POTS children were divided into two groups: anxiety/ depression group and non- anxiety / depression group according to the above scales scores. Heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP)were monitored by a Dash 2000 Multi-Lead Physiological Monitor.

Results

Twenty POTS children consisted of anxiety / depression group. Twelve were girls and eight were boys, with mean age of 14 ± 2 years. The non- anxiety / depression group included fifty-one POTS children aged 12 ± 2 years. Twenty-six were girls and twenty-five were boys. There were no statically differences in weight, gender, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and HR in supine. The age and height of anxiety / depression group were higher than that in non- anxiety / depression group. The maxium HR (HRmax) in ten minutes of upright position or tilt, the change of HR from supine to upright (ΔHR), symptom scores in anxiety / depression group were significantly higher than that in non- anxiety / depression group. Four scale scores were correlated with symptom scores and ΔHR.

Conclusions

Anxiety and depression emotion might be involved in the pathogenesis of POTS.