New research suggests women are more likely to suffer anxiety and depression following a myocardial infarction (MI) than men.
The World Health Organization has predicted that by 2020 depression will be the second most common cause of disability and death in the world. Major depression is seen in about 18 percent of MI cases, and can significantly effect quality of life after the event, the European Society of Cardiology reported.
"Patients with depression are nearly [six] times more likely to die within [six] months after an MI than those without depression. The increased risk of death in patients with depression persists up to 18 months," said Professor Pranas Serpytis from Lithuania, who presented the findings at Acute Cardiovascular Care 2014, the annual meeting of the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA).
The research team looked at 160 patients who had suffered an MI using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which assesses levels of depression and anxiety. Other lifestyle factors such as exercise and smoking habits were also factored in.
The team found about a quarter of the patients in the study were depressed, and women were more likely to fall into this category. The researchers found a positive correlation between smoking and anxiety after MI but no link was found between smoking and depression in this circumstance. Patients who were physically inactive were found to have a higher risk of depression following MI.
"Women are misrepresented in many clinical studies on MI even though they often have worse outcomes. Our study shows that women are more likely to develop anxiety and depression after MI than men but until now this issue has been largely unnoticed. Clinicians should assess MI patients, particularly women, for anxiety and depression so that timely treatment can be started," Serpytis said.
