Exercise and stop smoking to improve depression after heart attack

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/esoc-eas100615.php

Public Release: 9-Oct-2015
Exercise and stop smoking to improve depression after heart attack
World Mental Health Day 2015
European Society of Cardiology

"Depression is almost three times more common in people who have had a heart attack than in those who haven't," said Dr Manuela Abreu, a psychiatrist at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. "Cardiac rehabilitation with aerobic exercise can reduce depressive symptoms and improve cardiovascular fitness."1

"Patients who are depressed after a heart attack have a two-fold risk of having another heart attack or dying compared to those who are not depressed," added Dr David Nanchen, head of the Prevention Centre, Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Dr Nanchen's research shows that exercise and stopping smoking may improve depression after heart attack.

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At one year, smoking cessation had the strongest association with improvement of depression with a 2.3 greater chance of improving depression in quitters compared to those who continued smoking. Depressed patients who had higher physical activity at the beginning of the study were also more prone to improve their depression.

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Depressive symptoms in cardiac patients often differ from those of psychiatric patients. "Frequently they don't say they feel sad or hopeless but instead complain of insomnia, fatigue or body pain," said Dr Abreu. "The different clinical presentation contributes to the underdiagnosis of depression in cardiac patients."

She added: "Depression after a heart attack can lead to poor adherence to treatment, skipping medical appointments, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, social isolation, and poor self esteem."

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