Study characterizes the link between depression and heart disease
In order to lead a more functional and active life, patients with major depressive disorder can buy Canadian Effexor.
In order to lead a more functional and active life, patients with major depressive disorder can buy Canadian Effexor. This mental illness is associated with several physical symptoms, including heart disease. It hasn't always been clear whether this link exists because of unhealthy behaviors on the part of a depressed individual, such as poor diet or smoking. New research from Montreal investigates why this relationship occurs, and suggests that the body's stress response may be responsible.
Scientists from Concordia University examined 886 patients, who averaged 60 years of age. The subjects' heart rate recovery and blood pressure were recorded as indicators of how well their "fight or flight" response functioned after a stress test. About 5 percent of these individuals were diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
Results showed that subjects who were depressed needed more time for their heart rate to return to normal, as published in the journal Psychophysiology.
"The delayed ability to establish a normal heart rate in the depressed individuals indicates a dysfunctional stress response," said researcher Simon Bacon. "We believe that this dysfunction, can contribute to their increased risk for heart disease."
Physicians treating patients with major depressive disorder should also evaluate them for heart disease, according to the researchers.
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