Regular Exercise May Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Depressed People

Exercise seems to reduce the adverse cardiovascular consequences of depression, wherein depressive symptoms are usually associated with early indicators of heart disease.Researchers from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta analyzed more about the relationship between depressive symptoms and heart disease. They studied 965 people who did not have any heart disease and had no prior diagnosis of an affective, psychotic or anxiety disorder.

Researchers used questionnaires to evaluate patients for depression and levels of physical activity. They also looked at several early indicators of heart disease. They found that early heart indicators like arterial stiffening and inflammation were more prominent in inactive people than active ones.The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

"Our findings highlight the link between worsening depression and cardiovascular risk and support routinely assessing depression in patients to determine heart disease risk. This research also demonstrates the positive effects of exercise for all patients, including those with depressive symptoms. There are many patients with heart disease who also experience depression - we need to study whether encouraging them to exercise will reduce their risk of adverse outcomes,” said study author Dr. Arshed A. Quyyumi, co-director of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute in Atlanta.

Source-Medindia