May Help Treat Severe Depression in Heart Patients HeartInfo Commentary Depression is common in persons with heart disease. Treatment of depression may improve long term prognosis for heart patients. Studies that demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of antidepressants in persons with heart disease are important. If you have heart disease and think you might be depressed, talk with your physician about treatment options for depression. While it's normal to feel down about having heart disease, some patients experience serious depression.
Depression is associated with increased death rates for heart patients.
However, suspected side effects on the heart of anti-depression medication make some doctors reluctant to prescribe the drugs. A new study may put doctors and patients at ease. Antidepressants that boost serotinin levels are known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a new class of drugs that includes the antidepressant Zoloft. All patients suffered from major depression and had documented ischemic heart disease, restricting blood flow to the heart. Another 92 patients took a placebo.