| NEWS RELEASE: | |
|
DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS PREDICT MORTALITY IN WOMEN WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE | |
| Contacts: Anastasia Georgiades, Ph.D., Phone: 4670/618-1820 James A. Blumenthal, Ph.D., Charles B. McCants, B.S., Jonathan Davidson, M.D., Michael Babyak, Ph.D., Corrie Bauer, B.A., Michael H. Sketch, Jr., M.D., and Lana L. Watkins, Ph.D. Duke University Medical Center Email: anastasia.georgiades@imm.ki.se Embargoed until: March 3, 2004 |
|
|
Women with coronary artery disease are twice as likely to die if they exhibit symptoms of depression, according to a new study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center. While it is commonly appreciated that patients who show symptoms of depression are more likely to fare worse after their heart attacks than those who are not depressed, the current study is one of the first to look at mortality specifically in women. This is important, the researchers said, since heart disease risk factors may differ between the genders. Duke psychologist Anastasia Georgiades, Ph.D., is presenting the results of the Duke analysis at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society. The research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute. For their analysis, the researchers enrolled 265 women admitted to Duke Hospital for cardiac angiography. Depressive symptoms were measured and patients were followed for an average of 1.8 years. "In our study, when we statistically controlled for the effects of age, as well as the pumping capacity of the heart, depressive symptoms still remained an independent predictor of mortality," Georgiades said. "The key question that still remains to be answered is whether or not depressive mood actually lead to worse outcomes, or whether depression is an indicator, or marker, for some other risk factor." "What is still needed is more of an understanding of the pathophysiology of this association between depression and coronary artery disease. With that information, we can then determine whether or not treating the depression in this group of patients can actually improve mortality." | |
|
Psychosomatic Medicine is the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychosomatic Society, published bimonthly. For information about the journal, contact Vicki White, Managing Editor for Manuscript Production,
|