by Kimberly Van Brunt Women are twice as likely to have clinical depression when compared to men. By itself, depression can be a serious and chronic condition that requires medical treatment. But if you’re a woman with heart disease, depression can severely hinder your road to recovery.It’s estimated that 20 to 25 percent of all patients in a cardiac care unit are depressed at any given time - and if you include those with symptoms of mild depression, that number goes up to around 50 percent. “Clinical depression doubles the risk of having heart disease, and it also doubles your risk of having a negative health outcome,” says Kathy Kastan, L.C.S.W., M.A.Ed., author of From the Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease.Researchers don’t know exactly how the two are connected, however, the increased cardiac risk may stem from personality traits, like chronic anger or chronic anxiety, which can lead to clinical depression. For heart patients, an initial period of sadness or depression can be a natural response to illness, a side effect of medications or lack of social support.It may be more difficult to diagnose clinical depression immediately after a cardiac event like a heart attack - but it’s the lasting symptoms that should signal a red flag to both patients and health care providers.A total of five symptoms have to be present for two weeks to make a diagnosis of clinical depression. These symptoms include:

• Depressed mood during most of the day
• Inability to enjoy usual activities
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Appetite changes - eating too little or too much, including changes in weight
• Physical slowing, sluggishness or agitation
• Decreased energy (fatigue)
• Sense of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
• Difficulty with concentration, memory or indecisiveness
• Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death

It’s important for women with heart disease to take symptoms of clinical depression to heart. If you think you are suffering from depression, speak with your healthcare provider about treatment options. Treatment for depression may include stress management techniques, psychotherapy and anti-depressant medications.“Most of us want a quick fix,” says Kastan. “We don’t want to take the time to deal with our clinical depression - but many times, we need that extra set of ears to listen, and that extra set of hands to guide us where we need to go.”References: WomenHeart 2007 Science and Leadership Symposium