Quite often experts from all over have said that there is a pathophysiological relationship between heart failure and depression and anxiety.

A recent study by Harvard Review of Psychiatry says that around one-third of the people who are in depression or suffer from anxiety have higher chances of progressive heart diseases.

Christopher Celano, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues feel that both anxiety and depression are under-recognized and left largely untreated in patients who have undergone heart failure and had a cardiac arrest.

“Making the effort can help to identify those who are at higher risk for poor cardiac outcomes and to implement the treatment of these disorders,” Celano said

During the study the researchers discovered that one-third of the people having heart failure have higher symptoms of depression on standard questionnaires, while 19% meet the diagnostic criteria for major depression or other depressive disorders.

The study also said that even though a person might be healthy, if he or she is suffering from mild depression than they could still develop heart failure.

Celano and co-authors concluded, “It is likely that an aggressive, multimodal treatment approach – such as collaborative care models or stepped care from a mental health professional – will be needed to improve psychiatric and cardiac health in this high-risk population.”

The study appeared in the journal Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

Another study had found that heart disease patients had a double chance of dying early incase they suffered from depression. Researchers studied more than 24,000 patients for a period of 10 years and discovered that post-coronary artery disease depression was the main predictor of death.

The researchers noted that depression was a major factor apart from other reasons such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure, or having a heart attack or stroke.

[“source=hindustantimes”]