Heart Attack Depression Increases Risk

People who experience their first-ever bout of depression after having a heart attack are at greater risk for future heart problems, finds a Dutch study.

Researchers in the Netherlands at University Medical Centre Groningen, part of the University of Groningen, say new depression-related screening protocols and treatment strategies may be needed to help reduce the likelihood of future heart problems in these patients.

We found that only incident (first-time) depression — no other type — was related to a poor prognosis, said study leader Dr. Peter de Jonge. "In other words, our findings suggest that patients who experience depression after a heart attack, but never before, are at particular risk for future incidents.

Based on other studies it appears that standard anti-depressive treatment may not be sufficient for this category of patients, according to de Jonge.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.