The Recovery of Cardiovascular Patients With Depression

Overview

Cardiovascular disease increases the risk of depression and vice versa. Many cardiovascular patients are subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Potential biomarkers for the development, the course and the recovery of both diseases are in the focus of interest of many studies. One of the biomarkers that stands out is brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDFN). BDNF plays a significant role in regulating vascular growth and repair but also stimulates the survival, differentiation, and conservation of neurons. The aim of the study is to detect the depression in patients undergoing PCI and to determine the impact of psychiatric treatment on the functional recovery and on the changes of BDNF.

It has been shown that cardiovascular disease increases the risk of depression and vice versa. A significant proportion of cardiovascular diseases are coronary artery disease; most of these patients are subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). That population of patients, which is under greater risk of depression, has been passing through the health system without adequate management of psychiatric difficulties. Despite the abundance of the data regarding the concomitancy of cardiovascular disease and depression, potential biomarkers for the development, the course and the recovery of both diseases are still in the focus of interest of many studies. One of the biomarkers that stands out is brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDFN). BDNF plays a significant role in regulating vascular growth and repair but also stimulates the survival, differentiation, and conservation of neurons. Its' serum level is reduced in cardiac failure and acute coronary syndrome, and indicates a higher risk of coronary incident in angina pectoris. BDNF is also reduced in depression, but increases during a pharmacological treatment along with the clinical improvement. Therefore the aim of the study is to detect the occurrence of depression in patients undergoing PCI and to determine the impact of psychiatric treatment on the functional recovery of those patient and the correlation with the changes of serum levels of BDNF. This represents the objectivization of the tertiary type of prevention intervention for recovery of cardiovascular patients who are currently passing through the investigator's health system with unrecognized psychiatric comorbidity.