Interní Med. 2012; 14(2): 73-77

Depression and cardiovascular diseases

MUDr.Eva Kitzlerová, Ph.D.

Psychiatrická klinika 1. LF UK a VFN, Praha

Depressive disorder and cardiovascular diseases have the common pathophysiological mechanisms. They include both biological and

behavioral mechanisms. The principal are three biological ones: the activation of hypothalamo-pitutio-adrenal axis with increased

activation of sympathetic nervous system, the decreased vagal tonus followed by decreased heart rate variability and changes in thrombogenesis

with increased thrombocytic agregability. These three mechanisms are followed by the cascade of another processes, which

are interconnected with each other, they are mutually inseparable and cause the damage of cardiovascular system. These findings are

important for clinical praxis. Patients who suffer nontreated depressive disorder have the higher risk of development of the cardiovascular

diseases than the depressive patients treated with antidepressants including the tricyclic ones, which have the potentially risk of

cardiotoxicity. Hopeful is using the SSRI antidepressants which have the benign cardiovascular profile.

Keywords: depression, cardiovascular diseases, pathophysiological mechanisms, treatment

Published: February 22, 2012  Show citation