Depression After Coronary Artery Disease Diagnosis Increases Death Risk

HealthDay News — For patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), a depression diagnosis is associated with increased risk of mortality, according to a study published online July 26 in the European Heart Journal: Quality of Care & Clinical Outcomes.

Heidi T. May, PhD, MSPH, from the Intermountain Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, and colleagues examined the correlation of a subsequent depression diagnosis with all-cause mortality among 24,137 patients with angiographically determined CAD (stenosis ≥70%).

The researchers found that 15% of patients had a depression diagnosis during follow-up. These patients were significantly younger, more often female, diagnosed with diabetes, previously diagnosed with depression, and less likely to present with a myocardial infarction (MI) compared to those without depression. During a mean follow-up of 9.7 years, 40% of patients died (50% among those with depression vs 38% among those without depression; P <.0001). The strongest predictor of death was post-CAD depression, after adjustment (hazard ratio, 2.00; P <.0001). The correlation persisted among those with no prior diagnosis of depression (hazard ratio, 2.00; P <.0001), and by angiography indication (stable angina, unstable angina, and MI: hazard ratios, 1.84, 2.25, and 2.09, respectively; all P <.0001).

“A depression diagnosis at any time following CAD diagnosis was associated with a 2-fold higher risk of death,” the authors wrote.

Reference

May HT, Horne BD, Knight S, et al. The association of depression at any time to the risk of death following coronary artery disease diagnosis [published online July 26, 2017]. EHJ-QCCO. doi:10.1093/ehjqcco/qcx017