Depression And A Healthy Heart

As many as 15 percent of patients who have cardiovascular disease and as many as 20 percent of patients who have had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery experience some form of major depression. Numerous studies have demonstrated that mental stress has a marked negative effect on a person’s heart health. In particular, untreated stress can lead to irregular heart rhythms, arterial damage, a weakened immune system, and high blood pressure. Patients who suffer from depression have also been shown to have elevated pro inflammatory markers (such as C-reactive protein or CRP) and increased platelet reactivity, all of which are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Depression can also increase the risk of an adverse cardiac event such as a blood clots or heart attack for people with heart disease. Depression can also increase the risk the development of coronary artery disease for people who do not have heart disease.

It was determined during one landmark study that the continued presence of depression after recovery that within 6 months after a heart attack, the risk of death (mortality) was increased 17 percent (verses 3 percent who didn't exhibit symptoms of depression). During recovery from heart surgery, depression can cause a person to withdraw into social isolation, have worsened fatigue, and intensified pain. Patients who have untreated depression and who have had CABG after surgery also have increased mortality and morbidity. Patients with depression and heart failure also have an increased mortality risk as well as an increased risk of being readmitted to the hospital. Some early research findings have indicated there may be genetic factors that increase a patient’s risk of recurrent cardiac events after a heart attack and depression. Patients with depression and heart disease also perceive a poorer health status, as determined by numerous studies involving Quality of Life (QoL).

Furthermore, it has been determined that heart disease patients who have depression have worse medication and treadmill exercise adherence than do patients with heart disease without depression. Negative lifestyle habits associated with depression, such as lack of social support, poor diet, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, interfere with heart disease treatment. Depression has been proven to be an important such a risk factor in heart disease that it (AHA) has been recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) that all cardiac patients should be screened for depression by using simple screening questions and an easy to administer survey called the Patient Health Questionnaire. Therefore it is imperative for heart patients that you insure good mental health by using a mental health counseling service such as counseling maryland to help ensure that you mental health doesn't contribute to your heart disease.