Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Caspase-3 Activity in the Rat Amygdala Measured by Spectrofluorometry After Myocardial Infarction
Published on: January 12, 2016
Depression Treatment and 1-Year Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the TRIUMPH Registry
Kim G Smolderen1, Donna M Buchanan2, Kensey Gosch2
1From Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, MO (K.G.S., D.M.B., K.G., P.S.C., J.A.S.); University of Missouri, Kansas City (K.G.S., D.M.B., P.S.C., J.A.S.); University of California, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco (M.W.); Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (V.V., A.J.S.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (V.V., A.J.S.); Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, GA (A.J.S.); and Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, CO (P.M.H.). smolderenk@umkc.edu.
Insights
Treating depression in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients does not significantly alter mortality. However, untreated depression in AMI patients is linked to increased one-year mortality, highlighting the importance of intervention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Depression is common in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, negatively impacting quality of life and prognosis.
- Current guidelines suggest screening for depression, but the impact of its treatment on AMI patient outcomes remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between treated versus untreated depression and the prognosis of patients with AMI.
- To compare one-year mortality rates among patients with no depression, treated depression, and untreated depression after AMI.
Main Methods:
- The TRIUMPH study enrolled 4062 AMI patients from 24 US hospitals (2005-2008).
- Depression was identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score (≥10).
- Patients were categorized as having treated depression (documented diagnosis, medication, or counseling referral) or untreated depression.
Main Results:
- 18.7% of patients (759) had depression; 30.4% of these (231) received treatment.
- Treated depression patients showed no significant difference in one-year mortality compared to those without depression (6.7% vs. 6.1%).
- Untreated depression patients had significantly higher one-year mortality than those without depression (10.8% vs. 6.1%).
Conclusions:
- Depression in AMI patients is associated with increased long-term mortality.
- This increased mortality risk appears to be primarily associated with untreated depression.
Background:
Depression among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is prevalent and associated with an adverse quality of life and prognosis. Despite recommendations from some national organizations to screen for depression, it is unclear whether treatment of depression in patients with AMI is associated with better outcomes. We aimed to determine whether the prognosis of patients with treated versus untreated depression differs.
Methods:
The TRIUMPH study (Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients' Health Status) is an observational multicenter cohort study that enrolled 4062 patients aged ≥18 years with AMI between April 11, 2005, and December 31, 2008, from 24 US hospitals. Research coordinators administered the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) during the index AMI admission. Depression was defined by a PHQ-9 score of ≥10. Depression was categorized as treated if there was documentation of a discharge diagnosis, medication prescribed for depression, or referral for counseling, and as untreated if none of these 3 criteria was documented in the medical records despite a PHQ score ≥10. One-year mortality was compared between patients with AMI having: (1) no depression (PHQ-9<10; reference); (2) treated depression; and (3) untreated depression adjusting for demographics, AMI severity, and clinical factors.
Results:
Overall, 759 (18.7%) patients met PHQ-9 criteria for depression and 231 (30.4%) were treated. In comparison with 3303 patients without depression, the 231 patients with treated depression had 1-year mortality rates that were not different (6.1% versus 6.7%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-1.99). In contrast, the 528 patients with untreated depression had higher 1-year mortality in comparison with patients without depression (10.8% versus 6.1%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-2.62).
Conclusions:
Although depression in patients with AMI is associated with increased long-term mortality, this association may be confined to patients with untreated depression.
More Related Videos
05:41Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Ligation for Ischemia-Reperfusion Research: Model Improvement via Technical Modifications and Quality Control
Published on: December 16, 2022
04:38A Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Technique for Inducing Post-stroke Depression in Rats
Published on: May 22, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:28Acute Coronary Syndrome IV: Interprofessional Care
01:14Myocarditis III: Medical Management
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome I: Introduction
01:30Electroconvulsive Therapy
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
01:05Long-term Depression