Cardiology

The Heart during the Depression

According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the most frequent diseases and already affects more than 350 million people worldwide.

A work published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that depression is also associated with many cardiovascular diseases; this may increase the risk of suffering a heart attack and dying if we do not treat the disease adequately. We invite you to take into account the following information.

Depression and Heart Problems

Depression is one of the biggest public health problems, and the long-term data are not totally positive. For the OMS, according to studies, depression will be the first cause of disability and sick leave shortly to the year 2030.
Socially, depression continues to be "trivialized," and the psychological impact it implies for each person is not understood.

The social and personal complexity of this disease is high, and now we must also bear in mind that depression affects the cardiovascular health of the population.

A study conducted by Columbia University Medical Center, the Harvard Medical School of Boston, and the Harvard School of Public Health, threw information that associates depression with cardiovascular problems. A follow-up was made to 63,469 women who did not have cardiovascular diseases at the beginning of the program but did have a diagnosis of depression. It was an 8-year study, and the results were very striking: 49% of women who had not overcome depression had coronary problems.

The development of heart attacks was related to three other variables that added to the depression itself: hypertension, cholesterol, and genetic predisposition to certain coronary problems.

At the Washington University Shcool of Medicine and the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, they conducted their own study; the results were the following:

Men have the same chance of developing heart disease if they have been diagnosed with depression.

The probability of suffering insufficiencies, angina, or infarction is double that in men who do not suffer from this disease.

How to treat heart problems if you suffer from depression?

One of the main reasons people with depression get heart disease is because they stop taking care of themselves. There is a bad diet, not enough rest, and stop exercising, causing a loss of their defenses.

Many depressed people isolate themselves socially and stop doing routine checkups, both for depression and to know aspects such as blood pressure or cholesterol level.

Depression can cause either a significant drop in weight or, on the contrary, obesity.

Patients with depression should also be very attentive to the side effects of their medication. To get the right drugs, it is important to have regular contact with the doctor.

The person with depression must have good family support and recurrent attention because it causes social and even personal disconnection.

Prevention

Staying physically and mentally healthy can help your heart. A good diet, physical activity, and other behaviors can help prevent or reduce depression.

Following are some tips that can help you have good mental and heart health:

See a professional. If you are depressed but don't have heart problems, talk to a mental health specialist about ways you can treat your depression.
If you've been diagnosed with a heart problem, talk to your doctor about any feelings of depression you have. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe medications and tell you what healthy habits can improve your heart health and mental health.
Get regular physical activity: Exercise improves mood and keeps blood vessels strong and healthy.
Eat a healthy diet
Do not smoke
Receive support from your loved ones. Talk about your feelings with family or friends you trust

It is essential to consult a Cardiologist to diagnose a Tachycardia and to be able to start a treatment that helps you control your symptoms.

At the time of consulting your Cardiologist, try to keep a record of your pain with a detailed description of the symptoms, duration, and what you think triggered them. Also, mention any medications you are taking.

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