Depression and Cardiovascular Disease: A Need for Increased Awareness

Depression is more common in individuals with cardiovascular disease than in the general population. Two recent publications address implications of this finding.

That depression portends worse outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease is well known. A new science advisory from the American Heart Association provides a review of the evidence linking depression to CHD and offers recommendations for the clinician. The AHA science advisory group supports strategies to increase awareness of and screening for depression in patients with CHD, and specifically recommends routine screening for depression (with, at a minimum, the Patient Health Questionnaire) in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. The group recommends referral of i…