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A new review of recent research provides some of the strongest evidence yet that people who commonly experience symptoms of depression are at high risk of developing heart disease.
"Depression was associated with a significant increased risk of heart disease in seven of the 11 studies, despite the subjects' initial good health," says study author Dr. Reiner Rugulies from the University of California, San Francisco. The depressed individuals were between 1 1/2 and four times as likely as their nondepressed counterparts to develop heart disease. The remaining four studies provided weaker evidence to support a depression-heart disease link.
Doctors say there are several plausible explanations for why depression might predispose some individuals to increased heart risk: depression is associated with more smoking and less exercise; those who are depressed have a higher risk of hypertension; and a depressed state may increase production of free radicals and fatty acids, which can damage the lining of blood vessels.
Some mental health experts believe that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can be used to help diagnose and treat depression and other conditions, including bipolar disease and panic disorder. The advanced scans measure chemical activity in the brain and might help reveal subtle differences in how specific brain regions react in people with and without mental illness.
For a list of some clinics that are using MRIs to diagnose psychiatric illnesses, write to Medical Update or visit our Web site.
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