Depression is a modifiable risk factor associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death worldwide. A new British study shows that treating depression with psychotherapy may reduce the risk of developing CVD in people over 45.
People with cardiovascular disease are more likely to develop depression than those without. For people diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the risk of developing CVD is about 72% higher than for people without depression.
If depression is a modifiable risk factor for CVD, it makes sense to treat it effectively to reduce its risk. Psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” is a method of treating mental illness through discussion, listening, and counseling. However, despite the known association between depression and CVD, evidence regarding the effect of psychotherapy on her CVD risk is lacking.
Researchers are now examining how reducing symptoms of depression through psychotherapeutic interventions affects the risk of developing CVD. The researchers used the electronic medical records of 636,955 UK adults aged 45 and over who had completed a course of psychotherapy. The participant did not have her CVD or dementia. The average age of participants was 55 years old and 66% were female.
Participants’ depression levels were measured before and after treatment using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which scores 9 items ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (almost every day). . Items include pleasure from doing things, feeling low or depressed, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, low energy levels, and difficulty concentrating.
For the purposes of this study, depression was defined as a score of 10 or higher on the PHQ-9. Improvement in depressive symptoms was defined as a decrease of 6 points or more in her PHQ-9 score between the start and end of treatment.
Patients were followed up to see if they developed CVD, and if they did, they were excluded from the study to reduce the possibility that previously undiagnosed CVD was the cause of depression.
After following the participants for a median of just over three years, the researchers found that 59% of the participants had improved symptoms of depression, while 41% had not. Compared to humans, improvements in depression scores were associated with a 12% lower risk of developing any form of CVD, an 11% lower risk of coronary heart disease, a 12% lower risk of stroke, and a 12% lower risk of stroke. 19% lower risk. All-cause death.
All associations were stronger between ages 45 and 60, with improvements in depressive symptoms associated with a 15% reduction in CVD risk. In addition, this age group with improved depression scores had a 22% reduction in mortality during follow-up compared to the group with no improvement in depression scores. Over 60 he was reduced by 15%.
The researchers say the magnitude of CVD risk reduction after psychotherapy is comparable to the effects seen in studies showing how a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet modifies CVD risk. And they say their research highlights the need for early mental health intervention.
“The findings are consistent with previous studies suggesting that interventions to modify risk factors for cardiovascular disease are more effective at younger ages,” said Celine Elle, lead author of the study. “This underscores the value of getting help early to get the most out of it,” Bowe said.
The researchers note a limitation of their study, namely that it did not include lifestyle behaviors such as smoking and inactivity, which may increase CVD susceptibility.
The researchers note that the results of the study do not definitively prove that reducing symptoms of depression reduces CVD risk, but the availability of psychotherapy may help. I am convinced that it will only become
“Our findings underscore the importance of making psychotherapy more widely available and accessible to improve mental and physical health,” El Bau said. . “This is particularly relevant to certain groups at high risk for cardiovascular disease, who face barriers to access to psychotherapy.”
This research European Heart Journal.
Source: European Society of Cardiology
