Exercise Is Best Treatment For Depression In People With Heart Disease, Study Finds

Mental Health News: New study reveals that exercise is more effective than antidepressants and psychotherapy for depression in patients with coronary heart disease.

Patients with coronary artery disease are prone to depression. Having both health issues can deteriorate the quality of life. There is a need for effective treatment for depression as well as other aspects of heart disease.

Researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences reviewed different treatments (exercise, psychotherapy, antidepressants, combined psychotherapy and antidepressants, and collaborative care) for depression in patients with coronary disease.

Systemic review comparing depression treatments trials also considered factors including patient adherence to the treatment (dropout rate) and change in depressive symptoms eight weeks after commencing treatment. Findings revealed that the strongest treatment effects were found to be exercise and combination treatments (antidepressants and psychotherapy).

“Our study indicates that exercise is likely to be the best treatment for depression following coronary artery disease. Our findings further highlight the clinical importance of exercise as a treatment as we see that it improves not only depression but also other important aspects of heart disease, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, in these patients,” said Dr Frank Doyle, the study’s first author.

The study findings are helpful for doctors trying to come up with the best treatment plan for patients.

To Know More You May Refer To:

Doyle, F., Freedland, K. E., Carney, R. M., De Jonge, P., Dickens, C., Pedersen, S. S., Sorensen, J., & Dempster, M. (2021). Hybrid systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of interventions for depressive symptoms in patients with coronary artery disease. Psychosomatic Medicine, Publish Ahead of Print. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0000000000000944