World of Psychology

Depression & Your Heart

By Will Meek, PhD

Understanding the link between mind and body is one of the most promising areas of research being conducted. Most recently, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine recently found that people with depression had increased hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Furthermore, the relationship may also be cyclical, since artery narrowing can also have an effect on mood.

Hardening of the arteries leads to an overreaction of the immune system and the resulting inflammation is known to release chemicals that can have effects on behavior, he added. The brain, too, can suffer from the reduced blood flow, reinforcing the depression and the resulting ailments, he wrote.

As a practitioner, I am constantly encouraging people to take better care of their physical health as a way to improve their mental health. Physical exercise, regular sleep, and a healthy diet can be wonderful tools in preventing and overcoming depression, and they are also staples in preventing heart problems.


Comments


View Comments / Leave a Comment

This post currently has no comments. You can read the comments or leave your own thoughts on our new comments page.

Trackbacks


    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 7 Feb 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Meek, W. (2007). Depression & Your Heart. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/02/07/depression-your-heart/

 

Recent Comments
  • John M. Grohol, PsyD: Hi Dave – There always has been and always will be misdiagnosis when it comes to any...
  • lucrezaborgia: I’m coming late to the discussion so forgive me if I say something that has been brought up in...
  • Harold A. Maio: Patients feel insulted, stigmatized and dismissed I have expereined being insulted. I have...
  • Stacy: I to this day am bullied by my older sister. I’m contemplating legal action.
  • Dave Hommel: Dr G, Thanks for your response. I have met several families in person with children who were incorrectly...
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter



Find a Therapist


Users Online: 2624
Join Us Now!