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Chagas disease as a mechanistic model for testing a novel hypothesis
Serge A Mosovich1, Charles Mady, Neuza Lopes
1Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA.
Insights
Investigating the link between depression and cardiovascular disease, this study proposes Chagas disease as a model. This inflammatory disorder may help clarify the directionality of the depression-heart disease relationship.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- The bidirectional relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is established, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
- Inflammation is a key factor implicated in both depression and CVD, with altered inflammatory markers observed in both conditions.
- Depressive symptoms frequently co-occur with inflammatory diseases, including CVD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose Chagas disease as a novel model system for investigating the complex interplay between depression and cardiovascular disease.
- To elucidate the directionality of the association between depression and heart disease.
- To explore the role of inflammation in the depression-cardiovascular disease link.
Main Methods:
- This viewpoint discusses the use of Chagas disease as a model organism.
- It reviews existing literature on depression, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation.
- It proposes a framework for future research utilizing Chagas disease.
Main Results:
- Chagas disease presents a unique combination of inflammatory processes, cardiovascular complications, and autonomic dysfunction.
- This model allows for the study of how inflammation influences both depressive symptoms and cardiac health.
- It offers a potential pathway to determine whether depression precedes CVD or vice versa.
Conclusions:
- Chagas disease serves as a valuable model for dissecting the causal relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic strategies.
- Further research using this model can advance our knowledge of psychocardiology and inflammatory diseases.
Abstract:
The association between depression and cardiovascular disease is well documented. Nevertheless, the process through which they are linked remains unknown, as does the direction of this relationship. Studies have suggested both that depression is a risk factor for heart disease and that heart disease is a risk factor for depression. A number of studies have established that a relationship exists between depression and inflammation, with alterations in the levels of inflammatory markers (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha and others). Depressive symptoms have also been identified in many diseases characterized by inflammatory processes e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, diabetes, tuberculosis and cardiovascular diseases. In this brief viewpoint, we explain and propose how to use Chagas disease, a disorder characterized by inflammatory processes and leading to cardiovascular and autonomic problems, as a model for studying the directionality of the relationship between heart disease and depression.
