Depressed Patients Found to Have a 50% Increased Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death

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This study, presented at an American Heart Association conference, looked at 2040 patients with clinical depression and compared them with 3080 matched control patients. The researchers found that 12% of the patients with clinical depression suffered sudden cardiac death, compared to 6% of the matched controls without clinical depression (over a 14 year period from 1980 to 1994). The study was reported by Dr. Jean-Philippe Empana.

FAMILY PRACTICE NEWS
July 1, 2004, p.17