Why the study?
Depression frequently remains undiagnosed and untreated in CVD patients despite being a recognized risk factor, an issue exacerbated by elevated mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights the importance of diagnosing and treating depression as a major risk factor in CVD patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, proposing a 4-step intervention program.
May guide integrated CVD-depression care during pandemics; leaves open optimal interventions pending randomized validation.
An attempt to review links of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depression and present appropriate treatment methods for handling depression in the COVID-19 pandemic is made. Although depression constitutes one of the major mental health challenges that humankind must encounter in the 21st century it remains undiagnosed and untreated in CVD patients. Its great influence on the progress of CVD led to its classification as a risk factor along with dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, diabetes, obesity, substance use, sedentary lifestyle (poor diet, stress) making imperative the need for treatment methods. As during COVID-19 pandemic we witnessed the elevation of mental distress as involving both lifestyle choices and dealing with unprecedented life situations while inducing psychological distress or exacerbating preexisting physical and mental health problems – depression could act both as a contributor to and as the result of CVD. A 4-step intervention program is suggested.
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Flouda et al. (2023) studied this question.
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