Depression is strongly tied to non-fatal heart disease and stroke risk, and the more severe the depression, the greater the odds of experiencing these cardiovascular outcomes, according to a new study by the American Heart Association.
Risk increased by 24% with each additional level of depression — mild, moderate, moderately severe or severe, said author Yosef M. Khan, M.D., Ph.D., national director of Health Informatics and Analytics for the AHA in Dallas.
“The implications of such an increase are vast,” Khan said. “By understanding the relationship and degree of impact we can properly identify, prevent, treat and create policies and strategies to help decrease cardiovascular diseases and improve lives by tackling mental health and heart disease together.”
The link between cardiovascular disease and depression remained even after the researchers accounted for other health factors that impact risk, such as high cholestorol and high blood pressure, and socioeconomic variables such as age, income, education, sex and race.
The research will be presented this weekend at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2019 in Philadelphia.
