Depression is one of the most common health
disorders in the US, and heart disease is a leading cause
of death. "Although they can and do occur separately,
research shows that the two conditions are often connected,"
health experts suggested.
Previous studies have shown that depression is more common
among people with heart disease than among those without.
Researchers found that one in three heart attack survivors
experience depression, compared to about one in 20 adults
in the general population.
Depression has also been shown to be a precursor to heart
disease. In one study of postmenopausal women, investigators
found that those with symptoms of depression were 50 percent
more likely to develop or die from heart disease than
those without such symptoms, even though they had no prior
history of heart disease.
Explaining the connection between the two conditions,
the Mayo Clinic experts note that depression affects not
only the mind but also physical health. Depression has
been linked to increased blood pressure and abnormal heart
rhythms, as well as chronically elevated stress hormone
levels, which can increase the heart's workload.
"Even if you don't have heart disease, if you are chronically
depressed, you are at somewhat increased risk of heart
disease," Dr. Sharonne Hayes, a specialty reviewer of
the HealthSource publication, stated. What's more, people
with a history of depression "are susceptible for recurrence"
if they develop heart disease, said Hayes, who is also
the director of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota.
Yet, "the complex interplay between the two conditions
may allow for one or both to go undiagnosed," according
to the HealthSource article.
Findings from a previously reported study show that even
doctors and nurses do not always readily assess depression
in heart patients, and it is "hard for patients to recognize"
their own depressive symptoms, Hayes said.
This "tells us we're probably missing some people who
need to be treated or at least further evaluated (for
depression)," she said.
Symptoms of depression include persistent sadness, loss
of interest in normal activities, feelings of guilt or
hopelessness, tiredness, restlessness and changes in appetite.
Some of these symptoms may "be discounted by many with
heart disease or viewed as a natural part of dealing with
aging or heart-health problems," the report indicates.
According to Hayes, "It may be natural to grieve and
be sad if you have a new diagnosis of heart disease."
If those feelings persist or interfere with normal daily
functioning, however, heart patients should "specifically
mention that and be evaluated (for depression)," she advised.
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, February 2006.
