Cardiac Fitness Through Fighting Depression

Why do you have to look for effective depression help if you are a cardiac patient? Learn how your emotional state affects your desease and what alternative methods (guided imagery or progressive relaxation) you should consider. In a huge study by Duke’s John Barefoot, PhD and his team, 1250 cardiac patients with coronary artery disease were assessed over a span of nearly 20 years for their levels of depression, to see if the degree of depression correlated in any way with mortality rates, and, if so, which features packed an especially mean punch. (Other research had already established the connection between depression and heart disease, but this study was designed to tease out what elements did the damage.)

The study showed that depressive symptoms did indeed predict survival. The risk of death increased by 40% for patients with negative affect, which meant downheartedness, sadness, irritability and restlessness. When negative affect was found in younger patients - under 51 mortality risk increased to a whopping 70%.

The other potent predictor of mortality was hopelessness.