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Lifestyle changes are related to reductions in depression in persons with elevated coronary risk factors

Claudia Ruth Pischke1, Steven Frenda, Dean Ornish

  • 1Harvard School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street LW703, Boston, MA 02130, USA.

Psychology & Health
|March 6, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Individuals with elevated coronary risk factors and depression can improve health behaviors and mental well-being through lifestyle changes. This study shows significant benefits for depressed individuals adopting healthier diets and exercise routines.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Elevated coronary risk factors (CRFs) and depression often coexist, negatively impacting health.
  • Depressed individuals with CRFs may face greater challenges in adopting healthy lifestyle changes.
  • Understanding the impact of lifestyle interventions on both depression and CRFs is crucial for cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if individuals with elevated CRFs and depression can modify health behaviors over 3 months.
  • To assess improvements in depressive symptoms and CRFs following a lifestyle intervention program.
  • To compare outcomes between depressed individuals who improved, those who remained depressed, and never-depressed individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study of 997 participants (310 men, 687 women) in a cardiac lifestyle intervention program.
  • Intervention focused on diet (10% fat), exercise (3h/week), and stress management (7h/week).
  • Participants categorized based on depression status (CES-D score ≥ 16) at baseline and 3 months.

Main Results:

  • All participants met program goals for diet, exercise, and stress management.
  • Individuals who were initially depressed but became non-depressed showed the greatest improvements in diet, exercise, perceived stress, hostility, and mental health.
  • No significant differences in improvements were observed between those who remained depressed and those who remained non-depressed.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive lifestyle changes are feasible and beneficial for individuals with elevated CRFs and initial depression.
  • Lifestyle interventions can effectively improve both depressive symptoms and cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Targeting lifestyle modifications offers a promising approach for managing comorbid depression and cardiovascular disease risk.

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