In this study, the researchers reported that using an antidepressant could lead to better heart health and longer life compared to using statin for people with depression. According to their research findings, the risk of getting diagnosed with heart disease for the first time.

dying or suffering from stroke was 53% lower for depressed people but who were using antidepressant medications. The specific brands of antidepressants that the subjects were taking weren’t reported by the researchers.

Benefits of antidepressant therapy

As far as the results of the study are concerned, it was found that people who had worse cases of depression reaped the most benefits from antidepressant therapy. People having symptoms of mild depression only didn’t show a reduction in the risk of heart disease. In addition, the researchers also did find that mere use of statins, whether combined with antidepressants or alone wasn’t associated with a reduction in the risk of heart disease, stroke or death for those patients with moderate or severe depression. The findings were somehow surprising considering the long history of statins when it comes to prevention of stroke and heart disease.

Why depression should be treated

With the association identified between antidepressants and a long lifespan for having depression, this underscored the connection that exists between heart health and mood. The lead researcher noted that every person seems to have a very tight connection between their bodies and brains. The brain/ heart connection may be very crucial when it comes to the ability of the patient fighting cardiovascular disease. What this study implies is that it is not just enough to focus more on the heart health of the patient, but the disease can only be contained when the patient is treated entirely.

There is an intimate association between depression and heart disease. Depression is a very common condition that comes after a heart attack and can also double the risk of younger women getting a heart attack. It was found that patients with better outlooks and a positive mood do much better after experiencing a heart attack. Having the depression treated can really help a lot. This is because when the patients tend to feel much better, it becomes possible for them to be well engaged with their own healthcare, which makes them capable of developing better skills that can help them cope with depression and stress.

Heart failure patients that get their depression treated were found to have some very positive results, which included an improvement in the class of heart failure. This was also linked to fewer hospital admissions and better prognoses. For the sake of the health of your heart, the researchers advised people to bring up their mood issues. Both doctors and patients must put aside the stigma that comes with mental illness and depression among heart disease patients.