“Depression can double risk of stroke,” reported Time, CNN, NPR and many other news outlets, covering a study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
The researchers analyzed records of some 16,000 older adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study between 1998 and 2010, which included asking participants every two years about their depressive symptoms, history of stroke, and stroke risks factors.
“Nearly 2,000 strokes among the participants were reported over the course of the study,” stated Psychiatric News. “The researchers found that individuals who displayed high levels of depressive symptoms during two consecutive interviews (over a four-year period) were more than twice as likely to experience a stroke during the subsequent two years compared with participants who had low depressive symptoms during two consecutive interviews. Even people who had depressive symptoms at the first interview but not the second had a 66 percent higher stroke risk.”
The researchers had no specific explanation for the findings, but suggested that depression may cause physiological changes involving cumulative vascular damage over time. Therefore, the lead author said in a press release, “clinicians should seek to identify and treat depressive symptoms as close to onset as possible, before harmful effects on stroke risk start to accumulate.”
The researchers did not analyze the participants’ histories of psychiatric drug use. Previous studies reported by Mad in America have found that antidepressant use seems to increase heart disease in the elderly independent of depressive symptoms.
Gilsanz, Paola, Stefan Walter, Eric J. Tchetgen Tchetgen, Kristen K. Patton, J. Robin Moon, Benjamin D. Capistrant, Jessica R. Marden, Laura D. Kubzansky, Ichiro Kawachi, and M. Maria Glymour. “Changes in Depressive Symptoms and Incidence of First Stroke Among Middle‐Aged and Older US Adults.” Journal of the American Heart Association 4, no. 5 (May 28, 2015): e001923. doi:10.1161/JAHA.115.001923. (Abstract)
Study Finds Long-Term Depression Increases Risk for Stroke in Older Adults (Psychiatric News Alert, May 15, 2015)
DEPRESSION causing vascular damage? STIMULANTS protecting people from it? This is insane! This is beyond reason. What next, smoking heals and protects the lungs? Does it turn out that alcohol was actually good for our livers?
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“Even people who had depressive symptoms at the first interview but not the second had a 66 percent higher stroke risk.”
Even if you’re not depressed anymore. Or maybe… maybe it’s this thing they use to “treat” depression? The drugs maybe?
Btw, there are no conflicts of interest listed which looks suspicious for people who just happen not to correct for drug use…
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I read in my mother’s AARP magazine that watching tv too much causes cardiovascular disease. This health iiotmania is sweeping the world; but right at present is disturbingly more dangerous in the “mental illness field” because it causes false diagnosis, labeling, and a definite dumbing and numbing of the masses; in addition to keeping them addicted and risking their health, livelihood, and happiness. Many have us have become enslaved; but don’t know or are afraid to know it. Robert Whitaker and others seek to wake us up to this deadliness and I have woken up, too.
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I mistyped. It should read idiotmania; but that’s a very nice way to put the injury that have inflicted on America and the whole world!
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Fifteen thousand deaths are attributed to the use of aspirin each year. Alcohol is responsible, directly or indirectly, for the slaughter of millions of Americans.
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“The researchers did not analyze the participants’ histories of psychiatric drug use.” And since this variable was not controlled, there is no actual scientific knowledge gained from this unscientific study.
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Exactly.
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I completely agree with you. The study is worthless.
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http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20121017/some-antidepressants-stroke-risk
The potential link is not disputed even in the mainstream medical press. Not controlling for medication use is pretty inexcusable here.
—- Steve
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In other news: the decline in the number of pirates causes global warming.
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Not to mention that depression is also associated with higher adverse childhood event (ACE) rates, which have been shown to directly relate to physiological illness rates, including strokes. Additionally, there is no evidence presented that those “treated” for depression did any better, so the call to “identify and treat depressive symptoms before…” is really out of order.
— Steve
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The worst thing is that these studies get reported in the news and no one bothers to mention the obvious idiocy.
I’ve looked at the paper and they do not disclose any conflicts of interest nor any obvious funding problems (though I don’t know who really stands behind some of the grant organizations listed). Maybe they’re just stupid?
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Or are receiving funds from the same sources?
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In other news, water makes thing wet and fire make things hot.
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Lol. That’s the spirit!
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Yes, I should probably stop being so sarcastic about these posts. But I am entertained by these obvious “studies”, like “depression can increase risk of (X) by (X) amount”. Well duh… whatever “depression” is (and it’s not one thing), “it” will correlate or associate with other stresses and other bad outcomes. Just like water correlates with getting you wet and fire correlates with, well… I’m not sure, but a lot of hot things!
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