People who are depressed one month after bypass surgery are more likely to have continuing heart problems.

Previous research has suggested a link between heart disease and depression. In a new study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital have found that depression around the time of heart bypass surgery is a particularly significant factor.

They studied 172 patients, giving them a depression questionnaire before, one month, one year and five years after surgery. They found that 32 per cent were depressed before the operation, 28 per cent were depressed at the one month point, with the figures for one and five years being 21 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

Higher depression scores at all four time points were linked with cardiac chest pain five years after surgery. The link was strongest for those depressed at the one month post-surgery point. The findings suggest that it would be worthwhile screening bypass patients for depression at this point, and providing treatment if needed - in the interests of the patient's long-term health.

Source

Psychosomatics November-December 2002