No endothelial response seen to antidepressant Rx. (In Depressed Patients).

BERLIN -- Successful antidepressant therapy does not normalize the end endothehal dysfunction present in depressed patients, Dr. Andrew J.M. Broadley reported at the 24th Congress of the European Society of Cardiology.

This finding may explain recent reports that antidepressant therapy does not reduce the elevated coronary event risk associated with major depression, said Dr. Broadley of the University of Wales, Cardiff.

Depression has previously been shown to be an independent risk factor for subsequent development of coronary heart disease, being associated with roughly a two-fold increased risk. One possible mechanism for this increased risk is the endothelial dysfunction that has been noted in newly diagnosed patients with ...