Depression In Women: It Will Break Your Heart

For far too long, mental illness has been seen as a weakness, a choice, a fault of one’s own.  The day is still yet to come when there will be bumper stickers with sayings such as “Mental Illness Awareness” or “Let’s Find a Cure for Depression!”  There are no charity walks nor are there fundraisers or t-shirts.  Despite the fact that it has been shown that one’s mood has direct impact on health, seeking treatment, taking medication or speaking out is still stigmatized.

We know that depression can destroy relationships, careers, and even the individual themselves through suicide and other forms of self-harm.  Unfortunately, to date, these consequences haven’t been sufficient to put a spotlight on mental illness.  However, there now may be hope that individuals suffering from depression will be seen differently – more legitimately. 

A recent study has revealed that depressed, young women are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or die of heart disease.  In fact, “if the patient was experiencing moderate to severe depression, and was under 55 years old, researchers found she had double the chance of experiencing a heart attack in the next few years. Depressed women under 55 were also twice as likely to have heart disease or to die from any cause during that time period than those who were not depressed.”  The impact of depression on a woman’s heart is just as lethal as untreated diabetes, hypertension or smoking. 

The association of depression and heart disease in women is not fully understood, but researchers believe there is a biological reason for harm to young female hearts in particular.  Theories regarding inflammation or hormonal disregulation are just two.  Depression is a bidirectional risk.  Depression makes women more prone to heart disease and heart disease makes women more prone to depression.  In particular, women who have suffered heart attacks due to Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) have an even higher prevalence of post-event depression.  Tragically, maladaptive coping mechanisms such as alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and passive suicidal behaviors are all too common.  The triumph of surviving a heart attack or even cardiac arrest is often challenged by post-traumatic stress, survivor’s guilt, despair about life’s true meaning and an all too real sense that death is around every corner.

For some, effective treatment for depression remains elusive.  But, with persistence, the combination of psychopharmacological medications, therapy and regular exercise can effectively treat depression while at the same time decreasing one’s risk for heart disease. 

Because of the significant risk that depression poses to a woman’s heart, it is critical that depression is addressed aggressively, both by patients and physicians. Cardiac Companion urges women to seek help for depression and information on heart disease.  Your life depends on it.