Depression is a modifiable risk factor associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide .A new British study has found that treating depression with talking psychotherapy reducesrisk of developing cardiovascular disease in people over 45 years of age.
People diagnosed with depressive disorder have about a 72% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people without depression.To reduce the risk of CVD
If depression is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it makes sense to address it effectively, according toPsychotherapy, or talk therapy , is a way of treating mental illness through discussion of the patient's problems and counseling by a specially trained professional.But despite the known link between depression and heart problems , there is little evidence on the effects of the therapy.
Therefore, the researchers looked at how reducing symptoms of depression through psychotherapy affectsThe researchers used electronic health records from 636,955 British adults over the age of 45 who were mentally ill who had undergone counselling.The average age of the subjects was 55 years, 66% of whom were women.
Participants' levels of depression were measured before and after therapy using the PHQ-9 questionnaire, which assesses It helps to assess the pleasure of performing certain tasks, general well-being, quality of sleep, and the level of energy and concentration.
After following the participants for just over three years, the researchers found that depression symptoms improved in 59 percent of the participants and did not improve in 41 percent.Compared to those who did not show a positive trend, the improvement on the depression scale was associated with a 12% reduction in the risk of developing any form of CVD , an 11% reduction in coronary heart disease, and a 12% reduction in stroke .
The effect of the therapy on cardiac health was particularly noticeable among subjects 45 to 60 years of age: improvement in depressive symptoms was associated with a 15 % reduction in CVD risk.In addition, in this age group with improved depression scores, the likelihood of dying during follow-up decreased by 22% compared to those with no improvement in the disorder scores.
Researchers say the magnitude of the reductionThe risk of cardiovascular disease after psychotherapy is comparable to the effect observed in experiments with low-fat or low-carbohydrate diets. The scientists emphasize that their experiment highlights the need for early intervention in the field of mental health.
The study was published in the European Heart Journal.
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