Anxiety and Depression Bad Signs for Heart Patients

A new study by researchers at the University of Montreal has found that patients with stable coronary artery disease who suffer from anxiety and depression are at increased risk of major heart-related events. Findings of the study have been reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Anxiety and depression are known to have ill-effects on general health. Earlier studies have already linked anxiety to an increased risk of heart attacks. Study leader Dr. Nancy Frasure-Smith and Dr. Francois Lesperance set out on a different course – to determine the effects of anxiety and depression on the risk faced by patients with existing stable coronary heart disease.

The researchers studied 804 patients with stable heart disease for a period of over two years to determine the prognostic significance of depression and anxiety in them. 27% of the study participants showed signs of depression on a standard test while 41% showed signs of anxiety. Around 7% of the patients were diagnosed with major depressive disorder with about 5% having generalised anxiety disorder.

They found that major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, as well as high scores on the depression and anxiety tests were all indicators of an increased risk of a major coronary event. Major depressive disorder increased the risk by 2.85 times to emerge as the highest risk factor.

A combination of both major depressive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder was not found to cause any additional increase in risk compared to just one of the two disorders. “We found that both major depression and generalized anxiety disorder were more common in cardiac patients than in the general community. More importantly, both predicted about a doubling in risk for major cardiac events over two years,” Dr. Frasure-Smith said.

“Now that we know that both generalized anxiety disorder and major depression are markers of increased cardiac risk, it is imperative that these patients receive the best evidence-based treatment for both their cardiac and psychiatric conditions,” she emphasized. “Extra efforts are justified in helping them change their cardiac risk factors, assure treatment compliance, and improve their emotional and social functioning,” Dr. Frasure-Smith added.

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