Perhaps the most interesting finding of this study is the reduction in depression scores in groups encouraged and supported to adopt a healthier lifestyle, such as a more restricted diet and increased physical activity. Although there is ample evidence that exercise is a very effective treatment for depression in people with heart disease, the role of diet as an intervention in depression is less clear. Researchers used an established flaming ham risk score developed by observing healthy people over time to determine key risk factors for heart disease. Studies show that depression is more common in people with heart disease than in the general population.
In addition, in physically healthy people, those who have increased symptoms of depression after many years of follow-up are more likely to develop heart disease than those who do not have depression. Depression has also been found to be associated with an increased risk of further heart attack and death from all causes, not just heart disease, in people with acute heart disease (such as after a heart attack).
However, few studies have investigated whether these trends exist in reverse, that is, whether cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to develop depression. Michaeljung / Shutterstock
It is difficult to clearly interpret the results of this study. Scientists have been studying the relationship between mental and physical health for some time. It is also known that in the general population, women are more likely to suffer from depression than men. The ongoing randomization study consists of one group following a low-calorie Mediterranean diet and exercise program, and another group following an unlimited Mediterranean diet without an exercise program. More than 6,500 participants were enrolled in the baseline analysis of the PLOS ONE study, and more than 4,500 were followed up two years later. This study provides a promising impetus for further investigation of diet and lifestyle as a potential treatment for depression in patients with heart disease and at risk. However, this did not apply to men, nor did it apply to men or women at follow-up.
On average, the depression scores of all participants decreased after 2 years. But now, a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE has attempted to investigate it.
Sandra Martín-Peláez and her colleagues at the University of Granada, Spain, focused on people with metabolic syndrome to study the association between cardiovascular risk factors and depression in people aged 55-75 years. Metabolic syndrome is a group of co-morbid disorders such as high blood pressure, high blood pressure, excess body fat around the waist, and elevated cholesterol that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. For example, the authors analyzed data from various metabolic syndrome factors and found that diabetes and certain cholesterol levels lead to lower follow-up depression scores. However, other studies have shown that women with heart disease are more likely to suffer from depression than men with heart disease. They ranked people with a low, moderate, or high risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease within 10 years.
Participants were asked about their depressive symptoms at baseline (when they started following their diet and exercise program) and using a questionnaire two years later. Surprisingly, there was no significant association between cardiovascular risk at baseline or at follow-up and depression. The reverse is also true-unhealthy lifestyle factors are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and depression. Unfortunately, people with depression find it difficult to change their habits, such as quitting smoking. One such link is between depression and heart disease. Some researchers suggest that it may be involved in metabolic syndrome depression. Participants in this study came from a larger study that analyzed the effects of a Mediterranean diet on people with metabolic syndrome overweight or obesity. The data has been analyzed in different ways and there are several mixed results. Some of the biological factors common to both the risk of depression and heart disease are:
Increased inflammation
Endothelial dysfunction (stenosis of blood vessels in the heart)
Changes in the activity of the autonomic nervous system (the autonomic nervous system controls muscles including the heart)
Platelet dysfunction (when platelets tend to stick together to form a blood clot). We also know that healthy lifestyle factors such as physical activity and a healthy diet, rather than smoking, prevent both heart disease and depression. Therefore, the finding that there may be a link between women's risk of heart disease and depression seems to be consistent with these trends. Why is depression related to heart disease? Although it is not possible to conclude from this study that the risk of heart disease is a high risk of developing depression, there is already strong evidence suggesting that heart disease is associated with depression. Many behavioural and biological factors may explain this relationship. Depression scores were lower in people with low cardiovascular risk and in the intervention group (participants who followed a restricted diet and physical activity program). A healthy lifestyle is associated with a low risk of depression and heart disease. Overall, participants at high risk of heart disease were less likely to suffer or develop depression. The authors analyzed the data by gender and found that women at baseline with a high cardiovascular risk were more likely to show symptoms of depression.
You must be logged in to post a comment.