Depression significantly increases a person’s risk of dying in the years after undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), report researchers publishing in The Lancet.
According to the Duke University investigators, moderate to severe depression before surgery more than doubles the risk of dying within the first years after surgery. Mild depression before surgery also increases the risk, if the depression persists for at least six months following the operation.
Many studies have linked bypass surgery to depression. But little research exists on how depression may impact death rates in people who undergo the operation. These researchers followed 817 patients who had bypass surgery at Duke between 1989 and 2001. All the patients underwent standard tests to measure depression before having their operations and then again six months after the surgery. Follow up continued for up to 12 years.
After five years of follow up, researchers noted 122 deaths in the group. Among these, about 40 percent had been diagnosed with depression. One third of the patients had moderate to severe depression, while the rest had mild depression.
The authors conclude, “Many patients who undergo CABG are at increased risk of death because they are clinically depressed; this risk could be reduced by treatment of depression after surgery.” They call for additional studies to assess the effectiveness of depression treatments in reducing the death rate in patients who undergo bypass surgery. SOURCE: The Lancet, 2003;362:604-609
