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Reflections on depression as a cardiac risk factor

Nancy Frasure-Smith1, François Lespérance

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. nancy.frasure-smith@mcgill.ca

Psychosomatic Medicine
|June 15, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Depression is increasingly recognized as a significant cardiac risk factor. Despite methodological challenges in research, evidence from prospective studies supports its role in heart disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Medicine

Background:

  • Depression is not officially recognized as a cardiac risk factor by major North American cardiology organizations.
  • Behavioral medicine specialists widely consider depression a significant cardiac risk factor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the literature linking depression and cardiac disease outcomes.
  • To evaluate the evidence supporting depression as a cardiac risk factor.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review of Medline, Current Contents, and PsychInfo databases.
  • Focused on publications from 2001-2003, examining etiologic and prognostic studies.
  • Included studies with prospective designs, recognized depression measures, and objective cardiac outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Identified 21 etiologic and 43 prognostic prospective studies.
  • Noted heterogeneity in depression definitions, outcome measures, and data sets.
  • Despite limitations, a substantial body of evidence emerged.

Conclusions:

  • The majority of prospective studies support depression as a cardiac risk factor.
  • Further research is needed to address methodological heterogeneity.
  • Clinical recognition of depression's cardiac risk is warranted.
Abstract

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