Association between depressive episode before first myocardial infarction and worse cardiac failure following infarction.
Depression following myocardial infarction is associated with a higher mortality rate. The authors studied 314 patients admitted to the hospital with a first myocardial infarction to assess whether cardiac failure after the infarction, which is also linked to a higher mortality rate, was predicted by psychosocial characteristics present before the myocardial infarction. One-fifth (20.7%) of the subjects met the ICD-10 criteria for depressive episode in the 1 month before the attack. Variables independently associated with worse cardiac failure after the myocardial infarction were greater age, a history of angina preceding the infarction, and a previous depressive episode. The impact of depression on postinfarction outcome may result from the influence of preinfarction depression on the degree of cardiac failure.
Dickens
Chris
C
Department of Psychiatry, Manchester University, and the Department of Cardiology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, U.K. c.dickens@man.ac.uk
McGowan
Linda
L
Percival
Carol
C
Douglas
Jane
J
Tomenson
Barbara
B
Cotter
Lawrence
L
Heagerty
Anthony
A
Creed
Francis
F
D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate