Link between depression, heart disease in women: Russian Health

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Mar 2023 14:41

Russian researchers at Tyumen State Medical University find an association between heart disease and depression in women that was not found in men.

Hand points at a representation of a heart (AP).

The relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease in women has been discovered by researchers at Tyumen State Medical University (TyumSMU), an affiliate of the Russian Ministry of Health.

The researchers found that a variety of serious heart diseases, blood vessels, and metabolic systems frequently coexist with depression according to t
he Russian Journal of Cardiology.

A professor in the Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery at Tyumen State Medical University, Alexei Efanov, argued that the "Metabolic syndrome is characterized by impaired fat and carbohydrate metabolism and a dramatic increase in body weight, and poor control of arterial hypertension makes it difficult to control its acute manifestations. Patients with depression are more likely to have high blood pressure, elevated lipid levels, and obesity."

The correlation between the two factors, according to the researchers, suggests the importance of integrating testing for depression in screening plans for people with hypertension. "We have not observed this correlation in men, so we see a clear gender component in the relationship between depressive disorders and metabolic disorders, which should certainly be taken into account in clinical practice," Efanov argued.

The researchers found that women were statistically more likely to be obese and to have clinically significant levels of depression. Statistically speaking, those without symptoms of depression were younger, have higher levels of education, and reside in rural regions.

According to the university, the study group upon which the findings were based involved 1,658 people aged between 25 and 64 residing in Tyumen and the Tyumen region. The study involved epidemiologic research methods, tonometry, depression assessment with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and blood laboratory assessment.

Moving forward, the scientific team must expand on the study to assess the impact of depression on cardiovascular health over a longer period of time.