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Antidepressants Could Improve Cardiovascular Outcomes, Study Suggests
In patients with depression, antidepressants may be more important than statins, according to a study conducted at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, which will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.
A new study scheduled for presentation at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology found that screening for and treating depression could help to reduce the risk of heart disease in patients with moderate to severe depression.
Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City analyzed the health records and rates of death, coronary artery disease and stroke of more than 26,000 patients treated in the statewide network of health centers over a 3-year period. Patients completed a nine-question depression screening questionnaire, which assessed such factors as mood, sleep and appetite, to determine their level of depressive symptoms. Based on the questionnaires, researchers identified 5311 patients as having moderate to severe depression and 21,517 patients as having no to mild depression.
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