Cases of depression have been rising in the past few years. Unfortunately, awareness and information about this beat haven’t caught on at the same rate. Millions of depression cases are reported every year, and only a few manage to get proper treatment and appropriate care from the society. Depression is among the commonest mental problems in the U.S where it affects close to 26 percent of the adult population. It is categorized as a mental disorder which affects not only the mind but also the physical health and well-being.
Recently, it was established that depression is a major risk factor for heart attacks, stroke, and heart diseases. Depression increases an individual’s stress levels which in turn lead to unhealthy behaviors such as lack of exercise and poor dieting. Fortunately, these findings shouldn’t scare you since you can still take charge of your cardiovascular health. A study by Intermountain Medical Center that was conducted in 2016 revealed that treating depression can help in reducing the risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Findings of the Study
According to the study, treating depression effectively has been shown to improve in the health of the heart both in the long term and short term. Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center analyzed data from 7,550 patients who were part of the study that was done in 2016. They found out that patients who received depression treatment experienced the same risk of heart problems as those who had no depression.
The researchers also established that individuals who had experienced prolonged depression or whose symptoms had already worsened had an increased risk of suffering cardiovascular problems. Researchers concluded that effective treatment of depression could reduce the risk of heart problems by a huge percentage. Additional results from this study also revealed that depression could initiate changes in the body, which, in turn, can lead to cardiovascular problems.
Depression Treatments that Can Improve Your Heart Health
There is no specific treatment for depression. Mostly, doctors and psychologists use a combination of techniques to enable individuals to recover from depression. Although there is no specific treatment for depression, it is highly recommended that you seek depression treatment before it becomes unmanageable.
You can easily get psychiatric care for depression, which helps to reduce symptoms, and in turn, help to improve your heart health. Some of the most effective psychiatric care treatments for depression include art therapy, antidepressants, anxiolytics, cognitive behavioral therapy, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Most of the doctors offering neurological services and treatment los angeles ca find it useful to put their patients on medication and therapy.
Where to Get Depression Treatment
On average, cases of patients diagnosed with depression increase by close to 20 percent every year. Therefore, the numbers of health centers offering depression treatment are also on the rise to cater for the increasing numbers. However, before you book an appointment for depression treatment, you need to perform a thorough background check on the health facility and the services that they offer.