Pathophysiological basis of cardiovascular disease and depression: a chicken-and-egg dilemma.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the pathophysiological basis linking cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression; to discuss the causal relationship between them, and to review the effects of antidepressant treatment on cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
A review of the literature based on the PubMed database.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression and cardiovascular disease are both highly prevalent. Several studies have shown that the two are closely related. They share common pathophysiological etiologies or co-morbidities, such as alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, cardiac rhythm disturbances, and hemorheologic, inflammatory and serotoninergic changes. Furthermore, antidepressant treatment is associated with worse cardiac outcomes (in case of tricyclics), which are not observed with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.


CONCLUSIONS
Although there is a strong association between depression and cardiovascular disease, it is still unclear whether depression is actually a causal factor for CVD, or is a mere consequence, or whether both conditions share a common pathophysiological etiology. Nevertheless, both conditions must be treated concomitantly. Drugs other than tricyclics must be used, when needed, to treat the underlying depression and not as mere prophylactic of cardiac outcomes.
Paz-Filho
Gilberto
G
The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
Licinio
Julio
J
Wong
Ma-Li
ML
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors