Relationship between Depression and Heart Disease

• Stress and heart disease go hand in hand
• Though heart disease risks are high, there are ways to prevent heart disease including eating a heart healthy diet. Eating healthy also helps the circulatory system
• Other heart attack risks include heredity, lifestyle and environment

Heart disease kills more Americans every year than any other disease. It is by far the most deadly and the most debilitating condition in history. There have been literally thousands of studies done on the effects of heart disease, heart attack risk factors, and heart disease risks. The good news is that through this research we are making some headway in education which will ultimately lead to better statistics and better health for people around the world. One of the most recent studies that have been done is concerning the relationship between depression and heart disease. These studies are showing that there is a significant link between the two. It is also shown that the link between heart disease and depression is one that the two elements feed on each other.

The effects of heart disease can be catastrophic for both the patient and the patient’s family. This is why being able to identify heart attack risk factors and the symptoms of heart attacks is so important as well as knowing your heart attack risks. Stress is thought to be one of the most common factors of heart problems. Stress and heart disease go hand in hand.

The first thing to know is what are the symptoms of heart attacks. We all know that chest pain and numbing of the arm are symptoms of heart attack. What is less known is that sometimes there are no significant symptoms or even no symptoms at all. Because the effects of heart disease are so devastating it is essential that you know heart disease risks as well as heart attack symptoms. The best way to control heart disease is through prevention and education. Knowing the heart attack risk factors is essential. As mentioned before stress and heart disease are closely linked. If you reduce your stress level, you also diminish the link between stress and heart disease.

One of the fundamental things to prevent heart attack is to recognize the correlation between diet and heart disease. The first step to a healthy heart is easily controlled through a sensible heart healthy diet. Everything we eat affects our entire body health, including the heart and circulatory system.

Other heart attack risk factors include heredity, lifestyle, and environment. There is not much you can do about heredity. You are the product of your ancestors for both good and bad. Most people can’t change where they live, so for most people moving to a better environment is not possible. Lifestyle is the one heart attack disease risks that you have complete control over. Stop smoking and start eating right and you will see the benefits now and for long in to the future.

Concerning depression and heart disease, the two feed on each other. That is to say, those with heart disease are more likely to suffer from clinical depression and clinical depression has a causal affect on heart disease. For this reason it is important for physicians and mental health care workers to confer with each other on the best treatment plans for both disorders.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.