Mild depression increases mortality in heart failure

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

There is a link between depression and a higher long-term risk of death among patients who have chronic heart failure.
Previous work has shown a link between depression and heart problems. Now, in a new study, researchers at Duke University report on how even mild depression increases the death toll in heart failure.

They followed over 1,000 patients with heart failure, using a screening test called the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Those with scores of ten are considered to be mildly depressed, while a score of 12 to 19 is said to indicate mild to moderate depression. Those with a score of ten or more had a 44 per cent greater chance of dying from heart failure, say the researchers. And if the score threshold was lowered to seven, the risk was increased to 51 per cent. In other words, very mild depression also increases the risk of dying of heart failure.

There are known physiological links between depression and the heart. Depressed patients have blood that's more likely to clot and they may also tend to make unhealthier lifestyle choices that can affect the heart. Added to that, heart failure is an exhausting and disabling condition which may, in itself, promote depression. The Duke team is now looking at whether the use of anti-depressant therapy can improve the outlook for those who have heart failure.

Source
American College of Cardiology meeting 7th March 2005