Depression Impacts Heart Disease

By Sally Finder-Koziol

It’s vitally important for heart patients to dump the doldrums, according to a new study, which suggests that depression may hasten the progression of heart disease by increasing the levels of a key protein that causes inflammation.

The protein, TNF-alpha, is part of a large family of proteins called cytokines. These chemical messengers are mobilized when the body is injured or has an infection. Cytokines often cause inflammation in their effort to repair an injured or infected area of the body. In the case of heart failure, this inflammation makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood.

Source: American Heart Journal