One-Year Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown-Related Factors on Cardiovascular Risk and Mental Health: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Lockdown measures have obvious psychological impacts, which could, in turn, increase cardiovascular risk. We assessed the association between lockdown-related factors and the worsening of cardiovascular risk, incident anxiety and depression during 12 months’ follow-up. During lockdown (April–May 2020), 534 subjects, aged 50–89 years, were included in the PSYCOV-CV study (NCT04397835) and followed for up to 12 months post-lockdown. We found that participants with symptoms of depression during lockdown were more likely to report increased cardiovascular drug treatment (Odds-Ratio (OR) = 5.08 (1.78–14.5), p = 0.002), decreased physical activity (OR = 1.76 (1.10–2.82), p = 0.019) and weight gain (OR = 1.85 (1.08–3.17), p = 0.024) after lockdown. Moreover, changes in sleep patterns (OR = 2.35 (1.13–4.88), p = 0.022) or living in a rural area during lockdown (OR = 1.70 (0.96–3.03, p = 0.069) were associated with higher incident depression, whereas a better relationship with one’s partner during lockdown was associated with less incident depression (OR = 0.56 (0.29–1.08), p = 0.084). Finally, we found that continuing to work during lockdown in a role requiring in-person contact with the public (such as cashiers, nurses or physicians) was associated with more incident anxiety after lockdown (OR = 3.38 (1.12–10.2), p = 0.031). Interestingly, decreased consumption of alcohol during lockdown was associated with less incident anxiety (OR = 0.30 (0.10–0.90), p = 0.032). Our study, conducted in a representative sample of an age group at increased risk of both cardiovascular disease and severe COVID-19, increases the understanding of modifiable factors associated with the health impacts of lockdown measures.