Go Red for Women: The Heart-Mind Connection

As Valentine’s Day approaches the thoughts of celebration and romance began.  This particular holiday reinforces the ancient wisdom that connects our heart and our mind through our emotions.

For many years modern medicine has concentrated solely upon the quantifiable risk factors; blood pressure, smoking, weight and cholesterol to name a few.  But on this day, when the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women initiative is launched, it is time to look at the heart of a woman.  It is something so much more than the sum of quantifiable risk factors.  It is strong, vibrant, forgiving and resilient; it is something very much alive with emotion.

The second study looked at the effect of treating depression on cardiovascular events in patients 60 or older.  All of these patients had major depression were significant depressive symptoms.  They were treated with psychotherapy and medication, where indicated.  In those without cardiovascular disease at baseline, which was over 70% of the 235 patients examined, treatment for depressive symptoms reduced the risk of cardiovascular events.  For those patients without heart disease who received treatment for their depression, their risk of having a cardiovascular event was cut by almost 50%.

According to Dr. Williams, M.D., of Duke University the findings of such studies as these help support the idea that depression could be a causal factor in the development of cardiovascular disease.  These studies also give credence to the premise that treating such conditions can help prevent cardiovascular events.

So this Valentine’s Day, fill that prescription for little romance and love; it’s just good medicine -and doctor’s orders!

Brunner, E. J., Shipley, M. J., Britton, A. R., Stansfeld, S. A., Heuschmann, P. U., Rudd, A., et al. (2014). Depressive disorder, coronary heart disease, and stroke: dose–response and reverse causation effects in the Whitehall II cohort study . European Journal of Preventive Cardiology , doi: 10.1177/2047487314520785 .