Brinkmann B, Payne CF, Kohler I, et al. - Researchers conducted a population-based study of middle-aged and older adults in rural Burkina Faso examining the correlation of depressive symptoms with cardiovascular and cardiometabolic conditions. Consenting adults over 40 years of age (n = 3,026) were assessed for depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9) and for chronic cardiometabolic conditions via a lipid panel and glycated hemoglobin measures from serum, alongside anthropometry and blood pressure measurements and a self-reported questionnaire. Analysis revealed no significant correlation of objectively measured cardiometabolic conditions with depressive symptoms in an older, poor, rural sub-Saharan African population; this is in contrast to observations in high income countries. However, older adults in Burkina Faso exhibited depressive symptoms in association with consequences of cardiovascular disease such as stroke and heart attack. Metabolic syndrome hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and past diagnosis of elevated blood pressure or blood sugar were not correlated with depressive symptoms. There was a positive association between prior stroke diagnosis or heart disease with the standardised PHQ-9 score, as were self-reported stroke symptoms.