People in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, practice social distancing while enjoying the warm spring sun and blooming flowers at Gyeongsanggamyeong Park, on March 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Depression takes a toll on heart conditions, a recent study revealed.
A joint research team from Korea University Anam Hospital and Soongsil University studied 10-year data on 5 million South Korean adults who turned out to have no heart-related health issues in their national health exams taken between 2002 and 2008.
The study showed that those suffering from depression were 1.25 times more likely to suffer from atrial fibrillation.
The risk was higher among younger patients, in which those between 20 and 39 years of age were 1.58 times more likely to suffer from heart disease.
Atrial fibrillation causes irregular blood flow, raising the risk of blood clots, which may become a cause of strokes or dementia.
“Patients with depression should undergo psychological therapy as well as check their heart condition to prevent atrial fibrillation, which can cause strokes, dementia or cardiac failure,” said Choi Jong-il, a professor of the internal medicine department at Korea University Anam Hospital.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
