A study shows that heart attack patients with depressed mood upon admission for care are likely to be readmitted again in the future for heart events and chest pains. Mental health is long thought to play a crucial role in several systems like immune and digestive systems, but its direct role in cardiovascular health is poorly understood. Recently, researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel studied how mental health can have an impact to cardiovascular health.

In the study, researchers used data from 632 patients aged 65 who were admitted due to myocardial infarction between 1992 and 1993. They were followed up until 2005, taking note of their medical history to monitor recovery.

Although a lot of heart attack patients are likely to be readmitted in some future time due to adverse cardiac events, researchers found out that those patients who were identified as ‘mildly depressed’ during initial admission are more likely to be hospitalized later because of adverse cardiac health problems. Patients who were identified as ‘clearly depressed’ are found to spend more time in the hospital compared to those with lower scores, even when accounting for other significant factors like presence of other illnesses, smoking and socioeconomic status.

Clearly shows that psychiatric investment may have a positive effect

The study has important ramifications for those who are suffering or at risk for heart diseases like myocardial infarction. This means that people with diagnosis of major depressive disorder and having depressed mood face more complicated future if they are hospitalized due to heart attacks.

Frequent hospitalizations means that more funds is needed to support emergency and continuing care. It is to note that treatment for heart disease is expensive, especially in serious cases. Longer hospital stays also place a big financial burden.

But it also gives insight on the fact that psychiatric support to reduce depression could be a big payoff. The costs for treating depression is clearly low compared to management and rehabilitation of heart disease.

Depressed individuals often fail to adhere to good lifestyle choices

Depression makes it more difficult for people to observe healthy lifestyle, say the researchers. Depressed people often have bouts of insomnia, eat poorly and engage in less exercise, drink more alcohol or smoke more. Healthy lifestyle choices are deemed very important and therefore often taught to cardiac patients before they are discharged into the community.

Depressed patients are also less likely to engage in outpatient care and rehabilitation programs. This makes them at more risk of having another potentially deadly cardiac event in the near future.

Psychiatric support as part of recovery

The study is good because it involved a lot of participants that were followed for several years. It clearly shows that prognosis of heart attack is linked to overall state of mental health. Researchers recommended that care providers follow closely cardiac patients with low and depressed mood, and offer psychiatric support as part of management.

The study was supported by Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research. The study is available in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

source:http://www.mentalhealthnewstoday.com/091210-depressed-mood-correlated-with-heart-attack-risk