PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Physical inactivity after cardiac surgery linked with substantially higher risk of depression

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery should be assessed for depression and physical activity, say researchers in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology

2013-12-19
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Eileen Leahy
cjcmedia@elsevier.com
732-238-3628
Elsevier Health Sciences
Physical inactivity after cardiac surgery linked with substantially higher risk of depression Patients undergoing cardiac surgery should be assessed for depression and physical activity, say researchers in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology Philadelphia, PA, December 18, 2013 – New research indicates that inactive patients following cardiac surgery have a substantially higher risk of depression and that the number of patients suffering from depression after cardiac surgery is as high as 40%. Investigators recommend that cardiac patients should be assessed for depression and level of physical activity and remain as active as they safely can after surgery to minimize post-operative depression. The results are published in the December issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

Major depressive disorder is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and increases the risk of cardiac events and premature death. Prevalence estimates of depression among patients with CAD requiring cardiac surgery ranges from 23% and 47%, which is higher than the general CAD population, including those who have had a heart attack, and is nearly twice as common as in the general population without cardiac disease. Approximately half of patients suffering from depression before cardiac surgery remain depressed one year after surgery, and an additional 20% of patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting experience new or elevated depressive symptoms after surgery. Moderate to severe depression after cardiac surgery increases the risk of further cardiac complications.

Evidence describing the change in physical activity status before and after cardiac surgery, and whether physical activity status is associated with depressive symptoms following surgery, is limited. Investigators from the University of Manitoba therefore sought to define who is at risk for depression after surgery, whether all patients experience similar mood changes, how and when physical activity changes, and how this affects depression after surgery. They conducted the Impact of Physical Activity on Depression After Cardiac Surgery (IPAD-CS) study to assess 436 patients who were undergoing elective cardiac surgery or awaiting in-hospital cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass in 2010-2011. Patients were assessed for short-term depression and physical activity behavior before surgery, at hospital discharge, and three and six months after surgery. Patients were categorized as "depression naïve," "at risk," or "depressed" before surgery and as physically "inactive" or "active" based on their activities over the preceding seven days.

Results show that physical inactivity was an independent risk factor for increased depressive symptoms before surgery and that inactive patients had double the risk of experiencing depressive symptoms preoperatively. Preoperative depression and postoperative stressful events were the strongest associations after surgery. Physical inactivity was associated with preoperative depression and new depression six months after surgery. Strikingly, the investigators found that 58% of the "at-risk" group progressed to clinical depression after surgery compared to 28% in the "naive" group, and that 23% remained depressed after six months. Furthermore, stressful events (e.g., death in family, divorce, living alone) became significantly associated with depression at three and six months after surgery, suggesting that factors predisposing patients with cardiac disease to elevated symptoms of depression are not fixed and vary over time.

A subgroup of patients who were not depressed at baseline ("naive" plus "at-risk" subgroups), but who became depressed by the three- or six-month follow-up, demonstrated a significant decrease in physical activity from baseline to six-month follow-up compared to those who remained free from depression.

One caveat the investigators point out is whether reduced physical activity increased depressive symptoms or, conversely, if depression resulted in sedentary behavior.

Antidepressant medications remain the mainstay of current depression treatment strategies. However, their use is controversial in patients with coronary artery disease. Previous studies have shown that exercise as a treatment among patients with coronary artery disease is as effective as antidepressants for reducing depressive symptoms. However, it is not yet known if physical activity has a similar effect in patients undergoing cardiac surgery who already have depression.

"Depression in the patient undergoing cardiac surgery appears complex," says lead investigators Rakesh C. Arora, MD, PhD (Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg) and Todd Duhamel, PhD (Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreational Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg). "We have identified that although seven independent factors are associated with depression before and after cardiac surgery, different mood responses in different subsets of patients exist. Furthermore, patients 'at risk' for depression represent a new high-risk subset. Preoperative physical inactivity independently poses a two-fold risk for depression before surgery and is associated with the development of new depression postoperatively.

"These findings justify more detailed assessments of depression and physical activity before, during, and after surgery, and the need for assisted bio-psycho-social support in patients undergoing cardiac surgery," they conclude.

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Survey reveals regulatory agencies viewed as unprepared for nanotechnology

2013-12-19
Survey reveals regulatory agencies viewed as unprepared for nanotechnology Three stakeholder groups agree that regulators are not adequately prepared to manage the risks posed by nanotechnology, according to a paper published in the peer-reviewed ...

New data compression method reduces big-data bottleneck; outperforms, enhances JPEG

2013-12-19
New data compression method reduces big-data bottleneck; outperforms, enhances JPEG New discovery is rooted in physics and the arts In creating an entirely new way to compress data, a team of researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering ...

Data are lost to science at 'astonishing rate'

2013-12-19
Data are lost to science at 'astonishing rate' New evidence reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 19 confirms long-held fears about the fate of scientific data. Careful evaluation of more than 500 randomly selected studies found that the original data ...

New evidence that computers change the way we learn

2013-12-19
New evidence that computers change the way we learn People who use computers regularly are constantly mapping the movements of their hand and computer mouse to the cursor on the screen. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on December 19 have ...

New method to detect genetic defects in egg cells could double the success rate of IVF

2013-12-19
New method to detect genetic defects in egg cells could double the success rate of IVF Infertility affects up to 15 percent of couples around the world, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) is one way to treat this common condition. A study published by Cell Press December 19th ...

New gene responsible for cleft lip and palate syndrome identified

2013-12-19
New gene responsible for cleft lip and palate syndrome identified An international team led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has identified a new gene related to the Van der Woude syndrome, the most common syndrome with cleft lip and palate. The study ...

A new -- and reversible -- cause of aging

2013-12-19
A new -- and reversible -- cause of aging A naturally produced compound rewinds aspects of age-related demise in mice Researchers have discovered a cause of aging in mammals that may be reversible. The essence of this finding is a series of molecular ...

Scientific data lost at alarming rate

2013-12-19
Scientific data lost at alarming rate Eighty per cent of scientific data are lost within two decades, according to a new study that tracks the accessibility of data over time. The culprits? Old e-mail addresses and obsolete storage devices. "Publicly funded ...

Big data project reveals where carbon-stocking projects in Africa provide the greatest benefits

2013-12-19
Big data project reveals where carbon-stocking projects in Africa provide the greatest benefits It is increasingly recognized that climate change has the potential to threaten people and nature, and that it is imperative to tackle the drivers of climate change, ...

Texting may be good for your health

2013-12-19
Texting may be good for your health Txt4health program piloted in Detroit and Cincinnati motivated people to change behavior to reduce diabetes risk but less than half of enrollees stuck with service ANN ARBOR, Mich. — New University of Michigan ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

[Press-News.org] Physical inactivity after cardiac surgery linked with substantially higher risk of depression
Patients undergoing cardiac surgery should be assessed for depression and physical activity, say researchers in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology