Patients with cardiovascular disease are at a very vulnerable state. However, the risk significantly increases when they are both highly stressed and depressed.
This has been the finding of a new study conducted by New York City's Columbia University Medical Center with Carmela Alcantara as the lead author.
As reported by Reuters, according to the research, if a cardiovascular disease patient experiences a very high level of stress and depression, the chances of dying within the next 2 years since the onset of these issues are almost 50%.
But there's a caveat: the patient should have both. The increased risk is missing if he or she has only stress or depression.
During the study, the team of researchers followed almost 5,000 men and women who were diagnosed with a coronary heart disease. This is a disorder wherein the arteries are blocked by substantial build-up of plaque. The blood's pathway is therefore narrowed and blood pressure increases. In severe conditions, the patient may have to undergo surgery including a heart transplant.
These patients, whose ages were at least 45 years old, were then monitored by the researchers for about 4 years since 2003. The subjects had to answer a series of questions pertaining to their level of stress and depression in the previous weeks or months. These examinations were taken in their respective homes. After 6 years spent on follow-up, about 1,300 of the subjects died of the disease.
Based on the analysis of the results, at least 12% of the participants experienced high stress while 14% felt significant depression. Less than 10% had both. Although people with stress and depression made up only a fraction of the group, they experienced the highest percentage of deaths. The risk remains the same even if the data have already been adjusted to include demographics, medical history or condition during the study, and lifestyle.
On the other hand, even if the patients are already severely stressed or depressed, the risks remain low for a very long period.
