Heart failure is a chronic disease, which occurs when any part of the heart muscle weakens and the heart can’t supply the body’s cells with enough oxygen and nutrient-rich blood. The condition makes daily activities harder to deal with due to fatigue and shortness of breath. Nearly 5.3 million Americans live with heart failure and 660,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, according to estimates of the American Heart Association. About 300,000 deaths are blamed on this condition annually. Also, reports show that the condition is responsible for about 1 million hospitalizations each year.

 

The rates of heart failure would be lower if doctors diagnosed those patients going through depression, the current study suggests.

 

“Our data suggest that depression is an important and emerging risk factor for heart failure among patients with coronary heart disease,” Heidi May, an epidemiologist at Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, said.

 

The study followed nearly 14,000 people with clogged heart arteries. None of them had heart failure or depression at the time when they were diagnosed. One in ten patients was later diagnosed with depression.

 

The study found that that depression after coronary heart disease was associated with a two-fold increased risk for the incidence of heart failure. After adjusting for other cardiovascular factors, including diabetes, hypertension and age, the risk remained, but was slightly lower.

 

More exactly, the heart failure rate was 3.6 percent per 100 people among those who did not develop depression, but it was 16.4 percent in the group that did. Even after taking antidepressants, the risk remained the same.

 

“This finding may indicate that antidepressants may not be able to alter the physical or behavioral risks associated with depression and heart failure, despite a potential improvement in depressive symptoms,” May said.

 

She also added that patients need to be carefully screened for depression so that interventions that alter some of the risk associated with depression can be used and the related risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular events can be diminished.

 

Why does depression lead to heart failure in heart disease patients? Prior studies have shown that patients with depression are less likely to practice good health habits or follow doctors’ orders in taking medications and keeping appointments.

 

Another reason could be that depression brings about changes in the body, including reduced heart rate and increases in blood factors that encourage the formation of blood clots.

 

However, May said more studies are needed to identify possible links between the two disorders and what clinicians should do to help their patients.