A recent study published in the European Heart Journal examined how the treatment of depression via psychotherapies impacted cardiovascular disease outcomes.

Improved depression after therapy was associated with a decreased risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality. The analyzed reduced risk for cardiovascular disease was greater for people under the age of 60 than those over the age of 60.

Researchers included 636,955 participants in their analysis. All participants met specific threshold criteria for depression and had completed a course of psychotherapy. In addition, participants did not have cardiovascular disease before using the Improving Access to Psychological Therapy program.

This procedure began 365 days after last therapy session and individuals with cardiovascular episode were excluded to reduce probability that a previously undiagnosed disease was the cause of depression.

Among parameters measured were not much interest in doing things; feeling down, hopeless, hopelessness, failure, disappointment, sleep problems, tiredness, poor appetite or overeating; lack of concentration, restlessness, suicidal plans, and thinking that it is better to die for good.

It was found that improved depression was associated with a lower risk of any heart disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality.

pll/mem/joe