Depression and Artery Disease

Ivanhoe Newswire
Wednesday, February 7, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- When someone has the blues, missing out on the enjoyment of life isn't the only negative. Depression can also harden arteries.

Depression has been linked to heart disease and increased risk of death in many studies. Now, researchers report they have a better understanding of this connection. By breaking depression down into different components, researchers discovered a specific set of symptoms, including fatigue and appetite disturbances, is most closely linked to the early stages of artery disease.

Researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis studied 324 men and women with an average age of 60. They assessed the participants for cardiovascular risk factors, depression, and emotional state. They also used ultrasound tests to determine artery intima-media thickness (IMT), a measurement of the inner layers of the blood vessel linked to early coronary artery disease. Assessments were taken again three years later.

Participants who ranked higher on the depression scale were also more likely to have a greater change in their IMT measurement than those with lower depression scores. Specifically, the greatest change in IMT measurements were linked to the physical, rather than the cognitive and emotional, aspects of depression. The researchers report this finding may have to do with the age of the participants, as older depressed patients are more likely to suffer the physical effects of depression than younger patients.

Researchers report the findings of this study strengthen the theory of a link between depression and heart disease. Study authors write: "Identifying these components, in turn, may provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the negative emotion-CAD [coronary artery disease] relationships and may facilitate the development of focused interventions designed to reduce the CAD risk of individuals prone to experience negative emotions."

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SOURCE: The Archives of General Psychiatry, 2007;64:225-233