Heart attack survivors with chronic mood disorders may be more likely to die prematurely than their counterparts who don't suffer these problems, a recent study suggests.
Patients with anxiety or depression have previously been shown to have longer hospital stays and a worse prognosis after a heart attack, researchers note in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. But earlier research hasn't given doctors a clear sense of whether patients with specific types of emotional distress might put patients at greater risk for serious complications or premature death.
For the current study, researchers assessed almost 58,000 patients for emotional distress two months after a heart attack, and again at 12 months after the event. Overall, 21% of the patients reported persistent psychological problems in both assessments.
Researchers followed a majority of patients for at least 4 years. Compared to those who didn't report any emotional distress at all, people who felt depressed or anxious at both assessments were 46% more likely to die of cardiovascular causes during the follow-up period and 54% more likely to die from other causes.
"Temporary mood swings, if they are not too frequent or dramatic, are a normal part of life," said senior study author Erik Olsson of Uppsala University in Sweden.
"Feeling a little depressed after a heart attack might even be a good thing if it makes you withdraw a bit and get some rest," Olsson added. "Emotional states help us regulate our behaviors." About 15% of the patients in the study experienced some symptoms of emotional distress two months after the heart attack that they no longer reported after one year. Their odds of dying during the study period were no different from people who didn't have anxiety or depression at either assessment.
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