The health of elderly people who are depressed when admitted to the hospital is likely to decline, and they are less likely to fare well during the recovery period than are elderly patients who are not depressed. Many studies have now shown strong associations between depression and an increase in the incidence and severity of strokes and heart attacks. Heart Disease and Heart Attacks . Depression may even impair a patient's response to medication for heart disease. The more severe the depression, the more dangerous to the health, although some studies have indicated that even mild depression, including feelings of hopelessness, experienced over many years may harm the heart in people with no early signs of heart disease.
Depression appears to increase the risk for stroke in both women and women.
Researchers speculate that depression and stroke might have common patterns of development. Brain scans in the elderly, for example have reported greater atrophy in the brains of depressed individuals than in those of nondepressed ones. Some studies have linked past and current major depression with bone loss in women. Depression coincides with high pain scores in people with rheumatoid arthritis. In a study of elderly Japanese patients, the highest mortality rate occurred among those who were severely depressed, with cancer, suicide, and pneumonia as significant causes of death.