A new study has revealed the role of depression in compounding cardiovascular and health problems, and scientists have called on people with symptoms or a history of depression to get early and regular screening for cardiovascular disease.

The study was conducted by American researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Harvard Medical School, and Yale University;

It included complete DNA testing of more than 328,000 people of European descent, included in the UK Biobank database, aged between 40 and 69.

And it found that "those who suffer from high levels of depression were 34% more likely to have heart disease, and 33% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, even those who lead a healthy lifestyle."

According to the British newspaper The Independent.

The researchers explained that "a person suffering from depression, anxiety or stress, raises the heart rate and blood pressure, and causes the body to produce higher levels of the stress hormone (cortisol), effects that can lead to heart problems over time."

And they noted that "the risks remained increased, even after taking into account a range of other variables, such as diet, weight, smoking, exercise and genetics."

The first guide

The study also revealed that those who are in good mental health and live happy most of the time (77.7% of those included in the study), as well as those who reported a lower level of depression (18.3% of the group);

They were 34% less likely to have coronary artery disease and clogged arteries, 33% less likely to have type 2 diabetes, and 20% less likely to have atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk of a stroke;

Compared to those with high levels of depression (about 4% of the group).

Treating depression can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (Shutterstock)

The researchers also confirmed the theory that "the association between depression and coronary artery disease is higher in women than in men."

They pointed out that previous research dealt with the phenomenon of the prevalence of depression in heart patients for more than 40 years, and showed that "depression causes changes in the nervous system that lead to disturbances in the heart and metabolism," and they linked "high cholesterol and high rates of depression, as well as between depression." And the rise in the inflammatory response that can affect the body’s organs.”

They stressed that their findings confirm that "treatment of depression can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease."

In an article published alongside the study, Dr. Scott Ritchie and Dr. Michael Inouye, cardiovascular experts at the University of Cambridge, said:

The findings provide the "first evidence" that "severity of depression increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes."

They added that the study calls for "encouraging people with symptoms or a history of depression to have early and regular screening for cardiovascular disease."

Depression increases risk factors

According to the World Health Organization, 5% of adults worldwide (about 350 million people) suffer from depression;

And 17.3 million people die from heart disease each year, making it the number one cause of death globally.

As “at least a quarter of heart patients suffer from depression, and adults with depression often suffer from heart disease,” according to the “National Institutes of Health” in the United States (NIH).

So, Dr. Leo Pozuelo, a psychiatrist at the Clevelandclinic in Ohio, confirms that "depression is a risk factor for heart disease to the extent that the American Heart Association recommended that all heart patients be screened for depression."

Much evidence has shown that depression, anxiety and stress play a key role in the development of high blood pressure, arterial damage, irregular heartbeat and a weak immune system, by stimulating platelet reactivity, low heart rate, calcium buildup in the arteries, and increased inflammatory markers, such as elevated blood levels. C-reactive protein (CRP), which is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Depression also leads to heart attacks or blood clots in people with heart disease.

Early treatment of depression prevents heart disease

Dr. Roy Zieglstein of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine stresses "for sure" that depression and heart disease often co-occur.

Dr. Karina Davidson, a professor at Columbia University Medical Center, agrees, saying that "those with high depression are at increased risk of heart disease."

As Dr. Jesse C. Stewart, associate professor of psychology at Indiana University, notes, "Those with depressive disorder or symptoms have a 64% greater risk of developing coronary artery disease."

But he noted in a 2014 research paper that "early treatment of depression, before symptoms of cardiovascular disease appear, can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by nearly half."

This was confirmed by scientists from the German city of Munich, saying that "15% of deaths due to coronary heart disease could have been avoided, if the victims did not suffer from depression problems."

Therefore, treating depression is necessary to prevent the risk of a heart attack, and it can even be a life-saving factor.

The relationship between depression and diabetes

Depression and diabetes share symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and a loss of interest in normal activities, so "they are linked," M.

People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of depression, and people with depression may have a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Depression leads to heart attacks or blood clots in people with heart disease (pixels)

But she adds, "The good news is that diabetes and depression can be controlled together, and that controlling one of them in an effective way may positively affect the other," by adhering to medications designated for both cases, in parallel with making lifestyle changes, and exercising regularly.