A report by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ( AHRQ ) showed that one in five patients hospitalized for heart attack suffers from major depression, and these patients may be more likely than other heart attack patients to need hospital care again within a year for a cardiac problem and three times as likely to die from a future attack or other heart problems.

The research suggests that 60 percent to 70 percent of individuals who become depressed when hospitalized for heart attack continue to suffer from depression for 1 month to 4 months or more after discharge.

Major depression lasts 2 weeks or longer and is accompanied by five or more symptoms—including feelings of sadness, hopelessness, pessimism and a general loss of interest in life—that hinder a person’s ability to carry out normal, everyday activities.

The reviewers also found that, during the first year following a heart attack, those with major depression can have a delay in returning to work, worse quality of life, and worse physical and psychological health.
In fact, some studies show that depression that begins while the patient is hospitalized can continue to affect his or her psychological and physical health for as long as 5 years after discharge.

Approximately 765,000 Americans were discharged following treatment for heart attacks in 2002, according to national hospital data from AHRQ.

“ This report provides the scientific evidence clinicians need to know about the prevalence of depression in heart attack survivors, how depression affects these patients, and the need to treat the disease early, ” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy.

The reviewers found strong evidence that both counseling and certain antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRI ), are effective at reducing symptoms of depression in patients following a heart attack, but there is no evidence that either therapy reduces the likelihood of suffering future cardiac events or the odds of dying from them.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ( AHRQ ), 2005


XagenaMedicine2005