Depression Reduces Heart Disease? Anti-Depressant Fight Risks Says Study

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Depression can reduce the risk of Heart Disease? Yes, and no. According to a recent study Anti-depression medications can reduce the chances of having heart complications.

The study was conducted at the Intermountain Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, UT on the correlation between the use of anti-depressants and its effects on cardiovascular diseases. The study was conducted in a span of three years and yielded very interesting results.

According to Capital OTC, the study revealed that people who took anti-depressants had a lesser rate of dying, suffering from stroke, and risk coronary artery disease.

The study focuses on 5,311 patients out of a total pool of 26,000, reports Medical News Today. The patients were picked through a depression screen, which was made up of 9 questions concerning mood, sleep, and appetite. The questions helped gauge the level of depression each patient was experiencing. The report adds that the study centered on people who showed signs of moderate to severe depression. The rest of the 26,000 either showed no signs or only mild signs of depression.

Bench Mark Reporter notes that the research reveals that consuming anti-depressants revealed a lowered risks in patients with moderate to severe levels of depression by a margin of 50%.

The results were compared with patients who had the same level of depression, but were not taking anti-depressants of statins -- drugs normally used to prevent heart diseases.

Dr. Heidi May, one of the researchers who worked on the study and specializes in epidemiology and the cardiovascular system, shedded some light on the study and the results, reports Medical News Today.

"Anti-depressants were not associated with a reduced cardiovascular risk in people with little or no depression, but in moderately to severely depressed people, anti-depressants were shown to significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes."

She concludes from the results that "people who are having depressive symptoms may not be as inclined to exercise, practice good health habits or comply with health advice. Using an anti-depressant to reduce depressive symptoms might also help people better take care of their heart health."

Meanwhile, talking about the research, Dr. May said, "This study demonstrates the importance of evaluating patients for depression, not only in terms of improving their mood, but reducing their risk of heart disease."

Medical News Today reports that the study will be presented to the American College of Cardiology during its 64th annual scientific session in San Diego, CA on March 15.