WASHINGTON – Depression is underdiagnosed in patients with acute coronary syndrome, Alpesh A. Amin, M.D., said in a poster at a scientific forum sponsored by the American Heart Association.
In a prospective study of 1,199 patients, scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 consistent with depression were found in 183 (15%) at the time of hospital admission for ACS. Of those, 57 of 153 patients younger than 70 years (37%) and 4 of 30 patients aged 70 years and older (13.3%) had been clinically recognized as depressed. Only 32% of those under 70 years and 13.3% of those aged 70 years and older were taking medication to treat their depressive symptoms, said Dr. Amin of St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Mo.
Recognition and treatment of depression were low across all age groups but significantly worse among patients aged 70 years and older, compared with those younger than 70 years. That gap highlights the need for improved psychiatric assessment of coronary patients, he noted.