Depression and cardiovascular disease: Shared molecular mechanisms and clinical implications

Mingjing Shao; Xiaodong Lin; Deguo Jiang; Hongjun Tian; Yong Xu; Lina Wang; Feng Ji; Chunhua Zhou; Xueqing Song; Chuanjun Zhuo

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112802

Depression and cardiovascular disease: Shared molecular mechanisms and clinical implications

Psychiatry Res. 2020 Jan 21:285:112802. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112802. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Mingjing Shao¹, Xiaodong Lin², Deguo Jiang², Hongjun Tian³, Yong Xu⁴, Lina Wang³, Feng Ji⁵, Chunhua Zhou⁶, Xueqing Song⁷, Chuanjun Zhuo⁸

Affiliations

¹ National Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Center for Cardivascular Disease, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100101, China.
² Department of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics Laboratory (PNG_Lab), Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000, China.
³ PNGC-Lab, Tianjin Mental Health Centre, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, 300222, China.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Tainyuan, 030001, China.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province 272100, China.
⁶ Department of Pharmacology, The first Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province 37000,China.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province 272100, China; Department of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics Laboratory (PNG_Lab), Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province 325000, China; Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China; Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Tainyuan, 030001, China. Electronic address: chuanjunzhuotjmh@ieee.com.

PMID: 32036152
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112802

Abstract

Depression is a highly prevalent risk factor for both the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the mortality of CVD patients, and people suffering from CVD are more likely to develop depression than healthy individuals. The aim of this review is to summarize recent findings regarding the underlying relationship between CVD and depression. Literature search and review were conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, Wanfang Med Online, and Baidu Scholar databases. CVD and depression are intimately related and researchers from around the world have proposed and validated various mechanisms that may potentially explain the comorbidity of CVD and depression. Recent studies have suggested that depression and CVD may manifest as two distinct clinical conditions in two different organs, the brain and the heart, respectively, but may also be linked by shared mechanisms. Of these, inflammation involving the immune system is thought to be a common mechanism of depression and heart disease, with specific inflammatory cytokines or pathways being potential targets for the prevention and treatment of the concurrent diseases. Therefore, inflammation may play an important role in bridging the link between depression and CVD, a finding that can have important clinical implications for the prevention and early intervention of these conditions.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; Cardiovascular disease; Depression; Inflammation; Interleukin-6.

Publication types

Review