Earlier research has shown that depression is common in people with heart disease. An article appearing in the February 2006 issue of the Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource says that the two conditions are often linked. The occurrence of depression in the general population is about one person in 20. In those with heart disease, the occurrence is about one person in three.

Depression is often precedes heart disease. One study of post menopausal women found that a subject with depression was 50% more likely to die of heart disease. Depression not only affects the mind, but the body as well. It can increase blood pressure and stress hormone levels.