Just Asking
Are Our Schools Killing Us?
Studies show that depression can cause heart failure. Studies have also shown nationwide abuse of due process for special education children, and civil rights violations, depressing the heart out of parents and children.
Reported March 8, 2005
Depression Linked to Heart Failure Deaths LINK (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study shows a strong association between depression and a higher long-term risk of death for patients with chronic heart failure. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., believe their findings should convince physicians to pay close attention to heart failure patients' psycho-social status, as sub-depressive patients may be helped by aggressive heart failure and/or antidepressant therapy. They say, "Our findings provide further evidence to non-psychiatric physicians that depression can have a major impact on how their patients fare. Approximately half of all patients with heart failure will die within five years of diagnosis, and we believe that our study appears to identify a group of these patients who are at a higher risk for dying." Researchers followed about 1,000 heart failure patients for seven years to determine the ability of a depression screening test called the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) to predict death. Patients with a test score of 10 are considered mildly depressed, while patients with scores of 12 to 19 are considered mild to moderately depressed. Patients scoring 10 or higher had a 44-percent greater risk of dying, and the association was independent of other factors. Researchers say the reason behind the relationship between depression and worse outcomes for heart disease is not well understood, although it is known that depressed patients have altered blood aggregation properties, elevated immune-inflammatory programs, and a decrease in the heart's ability to react appropriately to the stresses of everyday life. Researchers add, "We also know depressed patients tend not to comply with their treatments, are not as motivated to stick with exercise or rehabilitation programs, and often miss doctor's appointments. Also, depressed patients tend to make unhealthy lifestyle choices in such areas as diet and smoking." This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/. SOURCE: Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Fla., March 6-9, 2005 |