This is an edited transcript of a talk presented by Richard C. Pasternak at the Heart House Learning Center.
Depression is an extraordinarily common disorder in contemporary America.
As understanding of its biology unfolds, it is increasingly clear that depression is causally related to many disease states not simply a consequence or reaction to illness. Depression has been found to be a strong, independent predictor of mortality following acute myocardial infarction. In fact, recent research indicates that depression imparts a higher relative risk than any of the usual predictors of cardiac mortality. I will also talk about the therapeutic options that are available to help us deal with the coronary patient who has been diagnosed with depression. I will begin with the case history of a patient from our practice.