Depression: A strong predictor of death

Depression: A strong predictor of death

Cardiovascular diseases and depression are among the most common diseases in industrialized countries. These health problems can greatly affect the quality of life and increase the economic burden on him or her. The relationship between heart disease and depression has been the subject of general interest and scientific research.

Some studies suggest that mood disorders such as depression are simply expressions of somatic feelings. Depression is expressed as a feeling of heaviness in the chest that resembles a “broken heart,” with individuals suffering from the problem of depression having the potential to trigger other problems such as angina, heart attack, and myocardial infarction.

Depression has been recognized as an independent risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases and cardiac mortality. A study led by Heidi May, Ph.D., a cardiovascular epidemiologist at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, sought to determine the association between the occurrence of depression and the risk of death following a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.

The study found that people with heart disease have twice the risk of being diagnosed with depression compared to other people. Regardless of when and how depression occurs, it is a risk factor that must be consistently addressed. Therefore, patients with coronary disease need to be screened for depression to determine treatment and follow-up accordingly.

The study focused on patients diagnosed with a heart attack and stable or unstable angina, which reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart due to plaque buildup in the arteries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for over 614,348 deaths per year.

Depression and heart disease

The study included approximately 25,000 patients who had coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed angiographically and followed for an average of 10 years after their heart diagnosis. The average age of participants was dominated by whites (90 percent), with 70 percent being male and their average age being 64 years.

About 3,646, or 15 percent, of participants had a follow-up diagnosis of depression. Of those, half died during the study period, compared with 38 percent of deaths among 20,491 participants who did not have a depression diagnosis. This suggests that people with heart disease and depression are twice as likely to die as people without depression.

After adjusting for age, gender, risk factors, other illnesses, heart attack, chest pain, medications and subsequent complications, the study concluded that depression was the strongest predictor of death in these patients. This association persisted even among people without a previous diagnosis of depression.

Because depression has a significant impact on life expectancy, the researchers advocate that physicians should look for better ways to identify depression in patients with CAD. They suggest the use of questionnaires designed to screen for depression or active surveillance to capture signs of depression during follow-up visits.

"This study shows that it doesn't matter whether depression occurs in the short term or a few years later - it is a risk factor that needs to be constantly assessed," said lead author May. "I think the take-home message is that patients with coronary disease need to be continuously monitored for depression. If they are found to be depressed, they need to receive appropriate treatment and further follow-up," she adds.

Depression is an illness, not a weakness

Some symptoms of depression include persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness or worthlessness, anxiety, loss of interest in hobbies and activities, etc. In recent years, depression has been associated with behaviors that can have negative health effects due to non-compliance with medications or prescribed rules of behavior. It is advisable to intervene early to prevent this mood disorder from worsening.

Inspired by Barbara Odozi