Patients who’ve experienced a heart attack commonly experience depressive symptoms, according to findings published in the International Journal of Cardiology.

There are few data regarding the effectiveness of depression treatment in these patients, researcher Dr. Steven R. Erickson, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues write.

To further investigate, they surveyed nearly 500 patients who had experienced Heart attacks, comparing those without depression to those with depressive symptoms.

A total of 293 subjects reported no depression or depression treatment. Twenty reported that they were being treated with an antidepressant drug and had not had depression symptoms in the previous month. Forty-two were being treated but still had symptoms, while 135 subjects had received no treatment at all for their depression.

These findings are important, Erickson’s team explains, because depression is associated with worse outcomes of Heart disease. They recommend psychotherapy for patients who continue to suffer from depression.

SOURCE: International Journal of Cardiology, March 30, 2005.