HHS HealthBeat (March 17, 2008)

Terrible twosome

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study indicates hostility and depression can work together to raise the levels of inflammatory proteins which put adults at an increased risk of heart disease.

Although hostility has been linked before with heart disease, this study suggests hostility may increase risk only when depressive symptoms are also present. Jesse Stewart of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis warns:

“As the level of depressive symptoms increased into the moderate range, we began to observe a relationship between hostility and elevated levels of these inflammatory proteins.” (9 seconds)

Stewart suggests that hostility plus depression could be an additional risk factor. Other risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol.

The study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: March, 14 2008