Antidepressants Linked to Lower Heart Disease

According to a Science World Report article, a new study indicates that patients treated with antidepressants have lower lower mortality rates, as well as lower stroke and artery disease when compared to patients not treated with such medication.

As quoted in the market news:

The study, based on three years of research, involved about 5,311 people who were affected by severe depression out of over 26,000 patients who were treated at the involved medical facility. The results showed that 20 percent had moderate or severe depression while the remaining 21,517 patients didn’t show depression based on a 9-question depression screen.

Heidi May, the lead author of the study and a public health scientist, commented:

This study demonstrates the importance of evaluating patients for depression,not only in terms of improving their mood, but reducing their risk for heartdisease.

Antidepressants were not associated with a reduced cardiovascular risk in people with little or no depression, but in moderately to severely depressed people, antidepressants were shown to significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes. We thought we’d see an additive effect.

Click here to read the full Science World Report article.