Do depressive symptoms predict the incidence of myocardial infarction independent of hopelessness?

Depression and hopelessness predict myocardial infarction, but it is unclear whether depression and hopelessness are independent predictors of myocardial infarction incidents. Hopelessness, depression, and myocardial infarction incidence rate 18 years later were measured in 2005 men. Cox regressions were conducted with hopelessness and depression serving as individual predictors of myocardial infarction. Another Cox model examined whether the two predictors predict myocardial infarction when adjusting for each other. Depression and hopelessness predicted myocardial infarction in independent regressions, but when adjusting for each other, hopelessness, but not depression, predicted myocardial infarction incidents. Thus, these results suggest that depression and hopelessness are not independent predictors of myocardial infarction.