Alternative Health Blog

Matters of the heart tend to distract even the most intent among us. But in the case of cardiac patients and their doctors, it’s not romance that is misdirecting things. At a recent annual meetin, the American Heart Association recommended that all cardiologists screen their heart patients for signs of depression.

There is good reason for this recommendation. Clinical depression is roughly three times more common in heart attack survivors and others hospitalized with heart problems as compared to the general adult population. This statistic certainly seems steeped in common sense when you think about the potential reactions of anyone who suffers a heart attack or scare. Mortality can be a powerful mind-bender.  Fear about recurrence might stop the heart attack patient from doing much physically, which in turn can lead to depressive symptoms itself.

The heart association said “only about half” of cardiologists diagnose depression in patients and it’s common scientific knowledge a significant portion of individuals diagnosed never seek or comply with treatment. So there are lots of cardiac patients out there who are struggling with daunting physiological and psychological conditions at the same time. 

The recommendations were published in the medical journal Circulation. The researchers made it clear there is no direct evidence that cardiac patients screened for depression enjoy any better outcomes related to their hearts. But the improved quality of life is hard to dispute when doctors are helping someone cope with depression. What’s more, patients may lose focus on their medication schedules or show little interest in changing diet and participating in rehabilitation programs.

As the first step of depression screening, doctors are urged to ask the heart patient two distinct questions:

– In the past two weeks, have you felt little interest or pleasure in doing things you normally enjoy?

– Have you felt down, depressed or hopeless in the last two weeks?

If the patient answers yes to one or both, the doctor will typically administer a questionnaire to determine whether the patient is depressed and to what extent. Some cardiologists will feel comfortable treating a patient who is depressed while others refer to a specialist.

In any case, treatment options can be regular exercise (research bears out significant benefits and it doubles to rehab the heart patient), antidepressant medications (herbal remedies are a possibility) and cognitive/behavioral therapy. 

Astute doctors will also include caregivers and partners in determining whether a patient is depressed. We can all be on the lookout for a heart patient who could use the right sort of TLC.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.