Study: Depression Doubles the Risk of Death in Patients with CAD
According to a recent study, patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are diagnosed with depression are twice as likely to die compared with patients with CAD but not diagnosed with depression.1
The study will be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 66th Annual Scientific Session on March 17 by lead author Heidi May of the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City.
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While previous research has examined the diagnosis of depression within the first few months after CAD diagnosis, May and colleagues examined the long-term effects of depression on patients after being diagnosed with a heart attack, stable angina, or unstable angina.
For their study, the researchers analyzed 24,137 health records of patients who had angiographically determined CAD at the Intermountain Health System and followed up with patients after a median 9.7 years. Depression was determined via ICD codes.
Overall, 15% of patients (n=3646) were diagnosed with depression. Of those with depression, 50% had died during the study period, compared with 38% of patients who were not diagnosed with depression.
Depression remained the strongest predictor of death after the researchers adjusted for age, sex, medication, follow-up complications, and other risk factors. In addition, the researchers found that the risk of death associated with depression and CAD remained consistent regardless of timing of depression onset, medical history of depression, or whether the patient had had a heart attack.
The researchers suggested clinicians screen patients with CAD for depression, watch for signs of depression, and continue to develop better ways of identifying depression.
“This study shows that it doesn’t matter if depression emerges in the short term or a few years down the road—it’s a risk factor that continually needs to be assessed,” Dr May reported. “I think the take-home message is that patients with coronary disease need to be continuously screened for depression, and if found to be depressed, they need to receive adequate treatment and continued follow-up.”2
—Melissa Weiss
Reference:
1] May HT, Horne B, Knight S, et al. The Association of Depression at Any Time to the Risk of Death Following Coronary Artery Disease Diagnosis: The Intermountain INSPIRE Registry. Paper presented at: the American College of Cardiology 66th Annual Scientific Session; March 17-19, 2017; Washington, DC. http://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/4223/presentation/36112.
2] Depression doubles risk of death after heart attack, angina [press release]. Washington, DC: ACC; March 8, 2017. acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2017/03/08/12/21/depression-doubles-risk-of-death-after-heart-attack-angina?w_nav=S.