According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, there is a link between exercise and heart disease risk in patients dealing with depression. While depression is thought of as an emotional issue, there are also physical effects of depression. In fact, as many as 20 percent of people hospitalized with a heart attack report symptoms of depression, while patients with heart disease have three times the risk of developing depression compared to the general population.
Researchers evaluated 965 individuals who didn’t have heart disease or any sort of depression. They utilized questionnaires to look at the people’s mental state and their exercise levels, as well as looking for indicators of future heart disease. Researchers found arterial stiffening and inflammation–the early heart disease indicators–that accompany worsening depressive symptoms were more pronounced in people who were inactive. The indicators were less common in subjects engaging in regular physical activity.
While the correlation is more indirect, it still helps point future studies in the direction to help guide patients with depression that have indicators of potential heart disease.
For more information, read the full study.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160111152808.htm
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0735109715072241
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.
