Posted on Thu, Feb. 19, 2009
For reasons unknown, depression has long been linked to risks of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. But doctors may now understand why. Researchers at Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill. found that depressed patients have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their blood - the process by which the body responds to infections, injuries and stress. The increased inflammation, brought on by the daily stresses of life and depression, can lead to physiological and biochemical reactions in the body that damage the heart over time.
"The body and the mind are closely connected, and they affect each other. We've found that even though patients' depression gets better within six to eight weeks with treatment, it may take up to six months for the inflammation markers to return to normal," says Dr. Angelos Halaris, lead researcher and professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences and assistant dean for translational research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "The changes caused by the inflammation are like a slow-growing cancer that goes undetected because they cause no symptoms."
The study found that inflammation from stress changes the structure of the inner lining of blood vessels and activates platelets to form-parts of the blood responsible for clotting. As clots pile together, plaque forms, which can ultimately lead to a condition called atherosclerosis, a narrowing or hardening of the arteries that could eventually cut off the flow of blood and cause a heart attack or stroke.
"Unfortunately, clots don't have boundaries," said Dr. Omer Iqbal, co-researcher and associate professor in the pathology department at the Stritch School of Medicine. "They can dislodge and travel to the vessels of the heart and cause a heart attack, and they can also reach the brain and cause strokes."
Doctors suggest that patients diagnosed with depression be routinely screened and monitored for heart disease and excessive stress.
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