Treating depression in patients with cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease and depression are intimately related illnesses. Car diovascular mortality is mote common in persons with depression, and depres sion following a myocardial infarction is associated with significantly poo rer cardiac outcome. Safe and effective simultaneous treatment of depressio n and cardiovascular illness can be difficult because of the interplay betw een these conditions. We examine the evidence for cardiovascular effects of depression, as well as the proposed mechanism for these effects. We also r eview the cardiovascular effects of antidepressant treatments and the mood- altering effects of common cardiovascular medications. Articles reviewed we re derived from a Medline search of English-language articles published bet ween 1970 and 1998.