These results were obtained by researchers after observing 63,000 people in Norway. Participants were asked to do mental and physical examinations. After 11 years, about 1,500 participants had heart failure. Most of them show symptoms of depression and stress.
Compared with people who showed no symptoms of depression, people who had mild depressive symptoms had a five percent higher risk of developing heart failure. Meanwhile, moderate depressive symptoms can increase the risk of heart failure by up to 40 percent, as reported by Health Day News (03/04).
"Depressive symptoms increase the likelihood of heart failure, the more severe the depressive symptoms experienced the higher the risk," said lead researcher Lise Tuset Gustad of Levanger Hospital in Norway.
Many people don't realize they have depressive symptoms. Often the symptoms of depression are overlooked and ignored in the end. Though depression is not just a mental illness but it can also cause physical problems.
According to Gustad, people who experience depression have an unhealthy lifestyle. This prompts them to adopt other habits that are just as unhealthy as overeating and smoking. In the end, both lead to an increased risk of heart disease and heart failure.
In addition, depression also stimulates the body to produce more stress hormones. Your heart rate will increase, as will your breathing rate. This can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease.
Gustad further suggested that a person should be more aware of the symptoms of depression in him. Depression is easier to treat in the early stages. Early symptoms include loss of interest in things he used to like and things outside of him.
