Chances of pre-mature death in heart-disease patients may get twice due to depression

Heart disease patients are at twice the risk of early death if they suffer from depression, warns a study.

More than 24,000 patients were tracked by the researchers for a period of 10 years. In the reserch, it was found that post-coronary artery disease depression was the single biggest predictor of death. 

According to lead author Dr Heidi May the span of the disease didn't matter, the patients were at twice the risk of dying compared to the ones who did not havefollow-up diagonosis of depression.

May also told that compare to other risk factors like age, heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure, or having a heart attack, depression was tghe strongest factor for dying.

24,138 patients were analysed by the tea. They underwent angiographies, according to which they had coronary artery disease.

The researchers used standardised diagnostic coding system to detect subsequent depression.

Depression patients were placed into subcategories on the basis of how long after their heart disease diagnosis, the depression was identified.

In all, 15 percent, or 2,646 patients, were diagnosed with depression at some point during follow-up. 

Of those, most of them (37 percent) were diagnosed with depression for more than five years after their first heart event, but the two diagnosis were linked. 

The second most likely scenario was of the diagnosis of the heart event within a period of one year, but there was a link between the two diagnosis.

Others were diagnosed between one and five years after their first event.

According to researchers there are hormonal changes and electro-functioning changes which affect the heart's functioning as people who suffer depression have reduced levels of serotonin released in their brain.