Depression may contribute to the development of heart disease, according to a recent six-year study by the Cardiovascular Health Study Collaborative Research Group. As reported in the October 10, 2000 edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers studied people age 65 and older who were initially free of heart disease. After six years, the data revealed that those who reported feeling symptoms of depression most often were 40% more likely to develop heart disease than those who reported feeling depressed least often.
Depression in the elderly is a common but often untreated condition that increases the risk of coronary heart disease and death. Depressive symptoms, which include feelings of fear, loneliness, irritability, lack of concentration, and sleeplessness, occur in 19% to 30% of people age 65 or older—about 5 million Americans.