Depression and Heart Disease
Depression is generally known to adversely affect one's mental health, but studies show that depression may also be linked to your heart ache and heart troubles. And no I'm not referencing your love life. Depression may double the risk of developing heart disease. Typically we associate diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure with heart disease and heart attack, but depression may have just as harmful of affects.
USA Today reported on this new breakthrough, "Mounting evidence has found that depression makes people more vulnerable to heart trouble. Recent studies, though, find that some genes that increase the risk of heart disease also may make people more prone to depression, which has raised the question of whether the depression-heart disease link is genetic."
For patients struggling with depression this may give you yet another reason to get help. Also, it is essential that these types of high risk patients seek out regular virtual heart scans to ensure that their arteries are plaque-free.
