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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
06:55
An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms, Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents
Published on: December 2, 2015
[Psychological disorders and cardiovascular diseases]
Matteo Monami1, Niccolò Marchionni
1Unità Funzionale di Gerontologia e Geriatria, Dipartimento di Area Critica Medico-Chirurgica, Università degli Studi, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Firenze.
Giornale Italiano Di Cardiologia (2006)
|July 20, 2007
Summary
Depression and anxiety significantly increase cardiovascular risk. While some drugs may help underlying issues, large trials are needed to confirm if they reduce cardiac events in affected patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Context:
- Psycho-emotional disorders, including depression and anxiety, are prevalent in cardiovascular disease patients (15-50%).
- Epidemiological studies link these disorders to increased cardiovascular events, rehospitalization, and mortality in both cardiac patients and the general population.
Purpose:
- To critically analyze the literature on the relationship between psycho-emotional disorders and cardiovascular disease.
- To evaluate the effects of antidepressant and antianxiety drugs on clinically relevant cardiovascular outcomes.
Summary:
- Psycho-emotional disorders are associated with increased cardiovascular risk due to lifestyle factors and physiological alterations (HPA axis, autonomic nervous system).
- While some drugs may counteract these alterations, no large randomized trials have proven their efficacy in reducing cardiovascular events in affected patients.
Impact:
- Highlights the need for large-scale, long-term randomized clinical trials to determine if pharmacological treatments can mitigate the elevated cardiovascular risk in patients with depression and/or anxiety.
- Emphasizes the critical link between mental health and cardiovascular health, necessitating further research into effective interventions.
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