How are you? (really)

Mental health is at the forefront of many people’s minds these days. The rate of anxiety and depression has grown in the USA and worldwide over the last two years thanks to the pandemic.

Depression can cause you to feel on some days like your heart physically hurts. Sadness can be felt in the chest. This begs the question if depression and sadness can feel like a broken heart, can it damage heart health?

The short answer is that yes, it absolutely can.

Here are some statistics regarding heart disease and mental health issues to consider:

• 1 in 3 Americans will die from heart disease (as of 2021)
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America
• Depression is the leading cause of disability not just in the USA but worldwide
• 1 in 20 adults will experience major depression each year
• 1 in 3 heart attack survivors experience major depression yearly
• People with a history of depression are 4 times more likely to have a heart attack within 14 years than those who have no history of depression
• Patients with both heart disease and depression are 4 times more likely to die within 6 months than those without depression

These statistics make the correlation clear that heart disease and depression are related, though how and why is a much more complex issue.

Have you ever heard the phrase “stress kills”?

While this statement may seem a little overly dramatic, it does have a lot of basis in medical fact. When someone is under a great amount of stress, the hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released and the sympathetic nervous system is activated, oftentimes referred to as a person’s “fight or flight” response. When a person is suffering from depression it often results in a chronically elevated level of these hormones. This can be physically detrimental to the heart over time.

On the flip side, depression has been known to take hold because of heart disease.

In one recent study, 50% of all patients examined a week post-heart surgery showed beginning signs of clinical depression. Why is this? While the relationship between heart disease and depression is still largely in question, one possible answer is that patients who have recently undergone major heart surgery tend to feel slow and sluggish, finding it difficult to get back into their regular routines. If their regular routines have been threatened by heart disease or they must change their lifestyles drastically to adjust to new health concerns, they will understandably start to feel a sense of discouragement and hopelessness.

Heart patients dealing with depression often don’t receive the correct medical treatment to address both issues simultaneously. This can in part be due to the actions of the patient directly, as depression can make it difficult for people to remember to take care of themselves, and patients may forget to take their medications or simply not feel the motivation to do so.

They may also lack motivation and energy and fail to keep their follow-up appointments. Many cardiologists and primary care doctors don’t have the experience with patients with mental illness the way psychiatrists and psychologists do. They may not be able to recognize when a patient is experiencing depression.

While there are still a lot of unknowns, both conditions can be effectively treated with proper diagnosis and monitoring.

For compassionate cardiologists who care about the overall health of their patients and not just medical issues addressed by them specifically, contact the Tampa Cardiovascular Associates by calling (813) 975-2800 today. Our physicians are always here for you and are happy to address any concerns you have related to your heart health. www.tampacardio.com.