Depression And Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Study Of Mediating Haemostatic Risk Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$327,625.00
Summary
Growing evidence suggests that depression, anger and anxiety play a role in causing coronary heart disease (CHD) and complicating the outcome in existing CHD. This may occur by effects of these emotions on promoting blood clotting and the stickiness of platelets - the blood cells responsible for blood clotting. This pilot study will follow a group of people with depression but without CHD and a control group over 8 months to compare how the blood clotting profile changes as depression resolves. ....Growing evidence suggests that depression, anger and anxiety play a role in causing coronary heart disease (CHD) and complicating the outcome in existing CHD. This may occur by effects of these emotions on promoting blood clotting and the stickiness of platelets - the blood cells responsible for blood clotting. This pilot study will follow a group of people with depression but without CHD and a control group over 8 months to compare how the blood clotting profile changes as depression resolves. The potential benefits of this research are a better understanding of the links between the common illnesses of depression and CHD that might improve the prevention and treatment of heart disease.Read moreRead less
Depressive Illness And The Heart: Identifying The Relation Between Affective Disorders And Coronary Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$503,625.00
Summary
Major depression is ranked fourth among the 10 leading causes of the global burden of disease and, if epidemiological projections are correct, by 2020 it will reach second place. Patients with depression are at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. This elevated risk is independent of conventional risk factors such as smoking, obesity, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes and hypertension. Also conclusively demonstrated is the adverse effect of depression in patients following myocardial inf ....Major depression is ranked fourth among the 10 leading causes of the global burden of disease and, if epidemiological projections are correct, by 2020 it will reach second place. Patients with depression are at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. This elevated risk is independent of conventional risk factors such as smoking, obesity, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes and hypertension. Also conclusively demonstrated is the adverse effect of depression in patients following myocardial infarction (MI), which materially increases mortality. The mechanism of increased cardiac risk attributable to depressive illness is at present uncertain but activation of the sympathetic nervous system, exaggerated platelet reactivity and-or altered baroreflex function are likely to be of prime importance. Preliminary data from our laboratory indicates that whole body and cardiac sympathetic nervous activity and cardiac baroreflex sensitivity are modified following antidepressant therapy. Identifying the underlying neurochemical mechanisms responsible for alterations in affective behaviour, and quantifying cardiac and whole body sympathetic activity directly and indirectly, and testing whether therapeutic and behavioural interventions can influence brain neurotransmitter turnover and modify cardiac sympathetic tone, platelet reactivity, and baroreflex function in a fashion likely to reduce cardiac risk, will be an important step forward in alleviating the burden of depressive illness on the community.Read moreRead less