A review of the evidence shows that there is indeed a link between clinical depression and risk of heart disease.

Researchers at the University of California have looked into 11 large scale studies, covering over 36,000 individuals, to see if there's a link between depression and heart disease. They found that those with clinical depression or depressed mood were between one and a half and four times more likely to develop heart disease in the years to come.

The link was strongest for those with actual clinical depression. They were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease than those with depressed mood. They had three times the risk of heart disease compared to those who were not depressed. The study underlines the importance of diagnosing and treating depression - for the sake of both mental and physical health.

Source

American Journal of Preventive Medicine July 2002