Depression and heart health: Here is what you should know

According to a study, if a person is depressed, the chances of him/her getting cardiovascular disease (CVD) is 1.5 to 2, in terms of relative risk.

Debjani Arora | Updated: October 1, 2018 5:13 pm

A depressed person is prone to lead an unhealthy lifestyle which can worsen pre-existing heart conditions © Shutterstock

Depression is becoming increasingly common these days. There are several studies that say it could also be a contributing factor for various other conditions and cardiovascular diseases is one of them. In fact, depression and heart diseases go hand in hand in most youngsters and middle aged people. According to a study, if a person is depressed, the chances of him/her getting cardiovascular disease (CVD) is 1.5 to 2, in terms of relative risk. Also, if a person is already suffering from acute cardiovascular disease (ACAD) and is depressed, then the risk of suffering severe ACAD doubles reports the same study.

The scary part is that a depressed person is prone to lead an unhealthy lifestyle. So, it can, in turn, have a larger impact on the overall functioning of the heart. A depressed person might be more likely to do the following:

Excessively consume alcohol, overeat and smoke.
Avoid all kinds of exercise and physical activity.
Feel stressed most of the time; this can raise the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and high blood pressure.
Take medicines incorrectly.

The above factors complicate his cardiac health in the following ways:

Higher risk of getting a heart attack and occurrence of death.
Slower recovery after getting a heart attack or post a surgery.

In fact, stress has also been a major contributing factor for depression and heart diseases. Stress has become an integral part of all urban Indians these days. So, controlling stress can also help to curb the triggers. ‘The prime difference between stress and depression is that you can bounce back to life if you suffer from stress after the situation passes. But with depression the feeling of doom, helplessness and lack of enthusiasm for life lingers. These do not go away even after engaging in activities that one might have once loved,’ explains Dr Syeda Ruksheda. So it is also important to identify whether you are suffering from stress or depression. Brushing of either of the one can have detrimental effects. Uncontrolled stress can lead to depression and worsen cardiac problems. So it is necessary to break this vicious cycle.

Published: October 1, 2018 5:12 pm | Updated:October 1, 2018 5:13 pm

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