High levels of fitness in depressive patients can lower risk CVD mortality
Individuals who maintain a high level of fitness in midlife are at a decreased risk of depression—and those who stay in shape while diagnosed with depression exhibit a 56 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, according to research published June 27 in JAMA Psychiatry.
“Higher fitness has been associated with a lower risk for all-cause and CVD mortality, and improvement in fitness level has also been shown to be associated with lower mortality risk,” wrote lead author Benjamin L. Willis, MD, MPH, of the Cooper Institute in Dallas. “A number of studies have shown that higher fitness is associated with a lower risk of nonfatal outcomes, including myocardial infarction and heart failure, as well as depression.”
Researchers of the study sought to determine whether fitness measured in midlife would be inversely associated with later-life CVD mortality in depressive patients.
More than 17,900 “generally healthy” patients, who were eligible for Medicare from 1999 to 2010 were used as the cohort for the observational study. Data for the study was collected from Jan. 1971 to Dec. 2009 and analyzed from Oct. 2015 to Aug. 2017.
During follow-up, the researchers found 2,701 depression diagnoses and of those, 610 deaths were attributed to CVD without prior depression and 231 deaths were attributed to CVD after a depression diagnosis.
A high level of fitness was also associated with a 61 percent lower risk of death due to CVD without depression, compared to those were less fit. Additionally, after a diagnosis of depression, a high level of fitness was associated with a 56 percent lower risk of death due to CVD.
“A new and interesting finding in this study is that higher fitness assessed in middle age is associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality even in the presence of incident depression, with the fitness effect extending many years into older age,” Willis and colleagues wrote.
The authors noted despite their findings, surveys indicate only 50 percent of adults meet aerobic exercise guidelines and even fewer meet muscle strengthening and aerobic guidelines.
“Health care costs and use of services are greatly increased in the setting of heart disease combined with the comorbid condition of depression, and these findings suggest that lowering risk through early prevention efforts may have economic as well as health benefits,” the authors concluded.
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.