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Study links clinical depression to heart disease BALTIMORE (July 13, 1998 12:51 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) -- Men who are clinically depressed are twice as likely as those who aren't to suffer heart attacks or develop other heart illnesses, according to a study published Monday. The study by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine confirms what 10 other surveys have found, but researchers at the Baltimore institution went beyond previous studies by analyzing cholesterol and blood pressure measurements. However, their study depended on subjects' self-reports of clinical depression -- defined as a cluster of symptoms such as sadness and hopelessness persisting two weeks or more -- rather than on findings from standardized interviews. The researchers tracked 1,190 male medical students enrolled at Hopkins between 1948 and 1964 and published their findings in the American Medical Association's Archives of Internal Medicine. Twelve percent of the men reported suffering at least one episode of clinical depression during 40 years of follow-up since the study began in 1948. They were twice as likely to develop coronary artery disease or suffer a heart attack compared to healthy peers, the study shows. The increased risk was present even for heart attacks occurring 10 years after the first depressive episode, said the researchers, led by Daniel E. Ford, who teaches medicine, epidemiology and health policy management at Johns Hopkins. "Does depression cause heart disease? I think the evidence shows that it does," Ford said. Additionally, the researchers studied 150 women -- the results were the same after accounting for other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol that can contribute to heart problems. Scientists aren't sure why depression may lead to heart problems. Some suspect that stress hormones, which are elevated in depressed people, may cause harm to the heart when elevated for long periods. Another theory is that depressed people are more prone to blood clots. Also unclear is if treating depression would reduce the risk of premature death from heart disease. Robert Carney, a medical psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said many studies have shown that depressed people are up to four times more likely to die if they have a heart attack. The Johns Hopkins findings are some of the strongest in suggesting that depression gives rise to heart ailments. Clinical depression "is a serious illness. People should report their symptoms to the doctor," said Madeline Gallo, spokeswoman for the National Mental Health Association, adding that other studies have shown that depression occurs alongside cancer, diabetes and other major diseases. More than 17 million Americans, or about 9.5 percent of the population, suffer from clinical depression in a given year. The symptoms are chronic sadness and possibly anxiety, coupled with excessive guilt, hopelessness, restlessness and irritability. Copyright 1998 Nando.net Copyright 1998 The Associated Press new voice - http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/janet/index.htm janet paterson - 51/10 - endocarb/selegiline/fluoxetine almonte/ontario/canada - [log in to unmask]