Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and depression share a common epidemiology, thus suggesting a mutual link between these two disorders. Growing evidence supports the detrimental influence of depression on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes. Reciprocally, depression rates in patients with known CVD are higher than in the general population. Heart and brain seem to be intertwined in a psycho-neuro-hormonal-cardiovascular axis. Their disorders emerge from pathophysiological derangements in the same fundamental mechanisms, including inflammation, platelet reactivity, autonomic dysregulation, circadian rhythm and sleep disruption, hormone imbalance, and neurotrophins. In addition, common unhealthy lifestyle habits, mainly poor diet, low physical activity, and tobacco use, might help explain the association between depression and CVD. Notwithstanding this, depression is grossly under-detected and under-treated in patients with CVD. The application of pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches to the treatment of depression might help physicians to optimize health outcomes and quality of life for their CVD patients.
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Masci, I., Merlino, S., Rutigliano, G. (2019). Depression and Cardiovascular Diseases. In: Govoni, S., Politi, P., Vanoli, E. (eds) Brain and Heart Dynamics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90305-7_18-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90305-7_18-1
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