Depression doubles death rates in heart disease patients

Heart disease patients are twice as likely to suffer an early death if they suffer depression, new figures reveal.

Researchers tracked more than 24,000 patients for 10 years, and found that post-coronary artery disease depression was the single biggest predictor of death.

That remained the case even after they adjusted for factors such as age, race, diabetes, or high blood pressure.

A leading psychologist with the American Heart Association told Daily Mail Online the findings highlight the crippling impact depression has on one's physical health, and support the idea that the mental illness has a biological impact on our organs.

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