Heart disease and depression linked

The Washington Post had an interesting article today on the relationship Heart Ailments, Depression Linked. Of course it seems to me that developing any serous illness is likely to increase the depression rate.

The exact links among heart disease, bypass surgery and mood are unknown. One of the few certainties is that depression after surgery is more common in people who had previous episodes of the disorder.

Some experts believe that alterations to the normal circulation and blood pressure during bypass surgery, or small clots that form during the operation, may damage the brain, at least temporarily.

A more likely explanation is that the onset of heart symptoms — whether or not surgery is involved — is often a patient’s first serious brush with death.

For many, it requires redefining oneself, marks the start of lifelong medicine-taking and makes ordinary activity seem dangerous, at least for a while.