Suffering from depression after a diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis increases your risk of death by 83%.
Depression is three to four times more common in heart patients than in the general population. The cocktail is explosive, according to scientific literature. A large study, presented at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Cardiology (Chicago, Illinois, USA, April 2-4), confirms this close connection. She concludes that people with coronary artery stenosis and depression are at greater risk of heart attack and even death.
Systematize screening
Fatigue, mood disorders are common after the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The 22,900 Canadian patients included in this study are no strangers to this assertion. The “cumulards” were 83% more likely to die during the 5 years of follow-up, compared to the patients not suffering from depression. The likelihood of having a heart attack was increased by 36%. Comfort is also impacted, since these people suffer more from angina pectoris. The impact on the prognosis is therefore significant.
In the eyes of Natalie Szpakowski, main author of the work, this should plead in favor of awareness. “Our results suggest that these patients would benefit from screening for mood disorders, whether by their family doctor or their cardiologist,” explains this specialist in internal medicine. She pleads in favor of regular psychological examinations, in order to establish a support in time.
The physical impact of ill-being
Because depression does degrade the course of the disease, but in a brutal way. Indeed, volunteers whose morale was low did not need more bypass or stent. This phenomenon can be explained by the physical changes induced by the mental illness. Depression degrades two key hormonal systems, impacting the blood vessels and the heart. It also promotes inflammation.
“There is an interdependence between depression and physical health. For example, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression and vice versa ”, summarizes World Health Organization (WHO). Not everyone is exposed to the same risk. In the follow-up, women were more affected by mood disorders.
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