The researchers found those who took the antidepressant drug were nearly three times less likely to develop stress-linked cardiovascular trouble during the mental stress tests compared to those taking placebo.Patients taking Lexapro also tended to have healthy changes in heart function and they reported feeling calmer and more controlled than the placebo group. Although people with this condition may not develop noticeable symptoms, their heart muscle is not receiving adequate blood supply, according to researchers from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C.However, the researchers found that people taking the antidepressant Lexapro (The study was funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and is published in the May 22 issue of the "Mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia is a serious condition, as patients with the condition tend to have worse heart problems compared to patients without it," study author Dr. Wei Jiang, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and internal medicine at Duke, said in a university news release. "This study showed for the first time that it is treatable with an emotion-modulating medication. Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reservedYasmine Ali, MD, is board-certified in cardiology. Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved "Our findings support the hypothesis that short-term use of SSRIs improves levels of biomarkers associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes," explained Jiang. Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Antidepressants Living with cardiovascular disease can affect your mental health. Emotional stress can harm cardiovascular health, experts say, so boosting mental resilience may be keyTUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the antidepressant The condition is known as "mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia." Of the original 127, 112 completed the study. Read our Emotional stress can harm cardiovascular health, experts say, so boosting mental resilience may be key Now, researchers from Linkoping University in Sweden say that antidepressant drugs are safe to use, in general. In people with heart disease, depression is more likely to lead to heart attack, stroke and chest pain than is smoking, high blood pressure or even diabetes.
Other SSRIs include The researchers concluded that SSRIs or other antidepressant treatments could help Two experts said the study findings weren't surprising, given emotional stress' known role in cardiovascular woes.In fact, "when speaking to patients about a symptom of Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum is a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Did you know the most common forms of heart disease are largely preventable? She agreed that emotional stressors are a piece of the puzzle in treating heart patients. Although some patients ended up using medication as well, this patient-preference-driven, stepped approach led to high patient satisfaction with treatment and a large treatment effect. In people with heart disease, depression is more likely to lead to heart attack, stroke and chest pain than is smoking, high blood pressure or even diabetes. Patients who suffer depression--around 50% of those hospitalized and as many as one-fifth of others--are up to five times more likely to die or experience further heart problems within the next year than others.
Adverse effects that may last throughout the time the medication is taken include sexual difficulties, nausea, and headache.
Controlling depression is critical for heart patients because, unchecked, it can keep the body in a chronic state of emergency preparedness, which has several serious implications: "As the participants performed these tasks, they underwent echocardiograms and electrocardiograms, and had readings taken of According to Jiang's team, 127 of the patients developed stress-related heart issues. During the first few weeks of taking an SSRI, patients may actually experience increased anxiety until the drug is fully effective -- usually in 4 to 6 weeks.