Moderate to Severe Depression Ups Heart Disease Risk in Women

Moderate to severe depression ups the risk of heart disease and early death in women aged 55 years or younger.

Women are around 70 percent more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime, the National Institute of Mental Health stated.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Emory University in Atlanta, shows that young depressed women should start taking care of their health as they are at a higher risk of developing heart problems.

"Women in this age group are also more likely to have depression, so this may be one of the 'hidden' risk factors that can help explain why women die at a disproportionately higher rate than men after a heart attack," said Amit Shah, study author and assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.

The study was based on data from 3,237 people with a history of disease. The average age of the patients was 62.5 years and women accounted for 34 percent of the group. All the patients underwent coronary angiography and X-ray to look for disease in the arteries.

Researchers found that women aged 55 years or younger were 2.17 times more likely to die of heart disease or require an artery-opening procedure if they had moderate to severe depression. Also women were 2.45 times more likely to die of any cause during the study follow-up period if they had depression.

"All people, and especially younger women, need to take depression very seriously," Shah said in a news release. "Depression itself is a reason to take action, but knowing that it is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and death should motivate people to seek help."

The study was funded by The National Institutes of Health and Emory Heart and Vascular Center and is published in the journal of the American Heart Association.

In 2008, the American Heart Association had issued a statement saying that depression should be recognized as a risk factor for heart disease. According to Viola Vaccarino, one of the study authors, the research supports the recommendation by AHA, but adds that the link between depression and heart disease is strong in young women.