Depression as an Antecedent to Heart Disease Among Women and Men in the NHANES I Study

Abstract

DEPRESSION IS not unusual among individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD), with studies indicating that between 15% and 22% of patients suffer from depression after a cardiac event.¹ In patients who have CHD, depression is associated with a reduction in both short- and long-term survival. Barefoot and coauthors² evaluated patients with CHD for up to 19.4 years and found that depressed individuals experienced a greater risk of mortality than did nondepressed individuals. The authors speculate that long-term risk may be caused by factors that advance atherosclerosis, such as altered neuroendocrine function and failure to adhere to lifestyle behaviors that are recommended for the patient with CHD.