A study reveals a treatment for depression that can help reduce the risk of heart attacks!

A study finds that talking about depression can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes later in life.

Previous research has found that those with a mental health condition are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

Scientists now believe that successful treatment of depression through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can not only help the brain, but also improve heart health.

In the new study, University College London researchers analyzed data on 636,955 people over the age of 45 who received treatment through the Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service in England between 2012 and 2020.

The free service offers cognitive-behavioral therapy, counseling and guided self-help, with sessions offered either face-to-face or in online groups.

A questionnaire that took into account factors such as lack of interest in doing things, sleep problems and bad moods was used to measure symptoms of depression.

The researchers then correlated the IAPT scores (depression scores) with the patients' health records to look for new cases of cardiovascular events.

They found that people whose depression symptoms improved after psychotherapy were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease over an average of three years of follow-up, compared to those who did not.

The study also notes that improvement from depression was associated with a 12% reduction in future cardiovascular disease at any time, with similar outcomes observed for coronary heart disease, stroke and death.

The association was strongest in people under the age of 60, who had a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 22% lower risk of death from all causes, respectively, according to the findings published in the European Health Journal.

The researchers found that people over the age of 60 had a 5% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 14% lower risk of dying from all other causes.

Lead author Celine Elbao said: “This study is the first to demonstrate a link between psychotherapy outcomes and future risk of cardiovascular disease. The findings are important because they suggest that the benefits of psychotherapy may extend beyond long-term mental health and physical health outcomes. the long". They stress the importance of increasing access to psychotherapy for under-represented groups, for example ethnic minorities who may be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Limitations of the study, which was funded by the Alzheimer's Association, include little information about lifestyle factors.

They suggest another explanation for the findings: It could be that those responding to psychotherapy had lifestyle behaviors that were more protective of cardiovascular disease.

Professor Nilesh Samani, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study shows that successful treatment of depression using psychotherapies is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. While observable, it provides further evidence that health "Brain and heart health are linked, and treating depression may have other important benefits beyond improving mental health. However, more research is needed to establish whether treatment actually causes a reduction in heart and circulatory conditions, and if so, how."