The interface of depression and cardiovascular disease: therapeutic implications

Abstract

Patients with major depression are at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease, respond more poorly to treatment, and exhibit worse outcomes, including increased morbidity and mortality. This article reviews the relationship between depression and heart disease, with an emphasis on epidemiology, biological substrates that likely underlie this relationship, and implications for treatment.

Keywords: antidepressants; cardiovascular disease; depression; mood disorders; platelets.