Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to examine whether clinical depression was associated with higher risk of premature death from ischemic heart disease (IHD). Risk for IHD was examined separately by sex and sub-type of depression in a long-term follow-up study spanning 49 years. Method: Patients who were diagnosed with depression in the Chichester/Salisbury Catchment Area Study were followed for 49 years. Observed deaths from IHD prior to the age of 70 were compared with rates that were predicted from historical data on mortality rates from 1960 onwards. Results: Significantly higher rates of death from IHD before the age of 70 were found among males with endogenous depression. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of the broader literature on mortality from natural causes among patients with clinical depression. In terms of prevention, the results indicate that patients diagnosed with severe clinical depression particularly men at the very least warrant risk assessment with regard to IHD.
Highlights
Heart disease and depression are both very significant contributors to the global burden of mortality and morbidity
The main analyses of the present study examined the frequency of premature ischemic heart disease (IHD) death by sex and type of depression in relation to expected levels of IHD death in the general population
Men in this group have almost twice as much risk of dying from IHD before the age of seventy than their counterparts in the general population. These findings further suggest that the pathways linking depression and IHD mortality may vary depending upon sex and the type of depression: men with endogenous depression were prone to premature death from IHD
Summary
Heart disease and depression are both very significant contributors to the global burden of mortality and morbidity. WHO currently estimates that 7.3 million deaths are due to heart disease annually and that depression affects 350 million people globally in any one year. Mounting evidence from clinic-based and community samples suggest that individuals suffering from severe depression are at increased risk for death from natural causes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether clinical depression was associated with higher risk of premature death from ischemic heart disease (IHD). Risk for IHD was examined separately by sex and sub-type of depression in a long-term follow-up study spanning 49 years. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of the broader literature on mortality from natural causes among patients with clinical depression.
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