Cardic parasympathetic dysfunction in depressed coronary heart disease patients:what is the response to treatment with sertaline?

Abstract

It is known that depression increased mortality of coronary patients.The decrease in parasympathetic innervation and exposing the heart to unopposed stimulation by sympathetic nerves which in turn leads to increase in heart rate and decrease in heart rate variability has been proposed as an explanation for this association.

The aim of this study was to determine whether treatment of depression in coronary heart disease patients is associared with a reduced heart rate or increase in heart rate variability.We have studied 28 depressed patients with stable CHD,clasified as either mildy or moderatly to severely depressed,to whom Sertaline 100mg/day was given for six months.The 24-hour rate and HRV were measured in those patients and in 20 medically comparable non depressed controls befor and after treatment of the depressed patients.We found that treating depression was quiet effective and resulted in improaving in both average heart rate and short-term HRV[reflecting mostly parasympathetic activity].

We concluded that treating depression may has a beneficial effect on a risk factor for mortality in depressed coronary heart disease patients.