Talk therapies can reduce cardiovascular risks

Treating depression with psychological therapy is associated with lower odds of heart disease and stroke, according to research published Monday in the European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.

“Our study suggests that improving mental health can also help physical health, especially in people under the age of 60,” said study author Céline El Baou, a PhD student at University College London, UK.

She added that people whose depressive symptoms improved after therapy had a 10-15% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who did not. Comparable effects were found in similar studies investigating a low-fat diet.

cardiovascular diseases It is the leading cause of death in the world. About 523 million people were living with cardiovascular disease in 2019.

The risk of cardiovascular disease is approximately 72% higher among people with major depressive disorder compared to their healthy peers.

This is the first study to investigate whether a reduction in depressive symptoms with psychological therapy is associated with a lower likelihood of future cardiovascular disease.

The study covered 636,955 adults over 45 with depression who completed a course of psychological therapy and did not have cardiovascular disease or dementia. The average age was 55 years, and 66% were women.

Data on psychological treatment, incidence of cardiovascular disease and death were obtained from national electronic health record databases in England and linked at the individual level.

According to El Baothe results highlight the importance of making psychological treatments more available and affordable for improving mental and physical health.

Although the results are not conclusive, they are particularly relevant for certain groups that face obstacles in accessing psychological therapies and have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases.