Depression Increases Risk of Heart Failure in Patients with Heart Disease

A new study, which was published in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that patients who were diagnosed with depression after being diagnosed with heart disease were at greater risk of heart failure.  The study also found that taking antidepressants neither reduced the risk of heart failure nor eased the symptoms of depression.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to adequately pump blood to the body.   

The researchers studied 13,708 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who did not have a diagnosis of heart failure and depression and who were not being prescribed antidepressants at the time their CAD was diagnosed.  The results showed that 1,377 of these patients were later diagnosed with depression.

The researchers, therefore, concluded that depression diagnosis was shown to be associated with an increased incidence of heart failure after CAD diagnosis, regardless of whether patients were receiving antidepressants or not.

If you or someone you love suffered injury or death because of delay in the diagnosis or treatment of heart disease, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese for a free consultation.  The lawyers at Berger & Lagnese specialize in medical malpractice cases involving the failure to diagnose and treat medical conditions such as heart disease.