A link between depression and heart disease could open the door to preventative treatment
We have been aware of connections between depression and heart disease for over a decade. Now, recent studies have revealed that youth with major depressive disorder (MDD) may be at risk for early heart disease.
Dr. Daphne Korczak and her team wanted to know if evidence of heart disease risk could be detected in adolescents with MDD. Identifying this risk early would open the door to preventing the symptoms of heart disease before they become severe.
We spoke to Dr. Korczak about what they learned about the connection between MDD and heart disease, and how their findings could change treatment for adolescents with MDD.
What motivated this research?
DK: We have known for a long time that adults with ischemic heart disease are at increased risk of depression. More recent population-based studies have shown that youth with depression are also at increased risk for premature heart disease. The problem is that by the time youth with depression develop symptoms of heart disease or show increased risk in their 40s or 50s, the window for prevention has closed. We were interested in learning whether we could detect evidence of increased heart disease risk when adolescents came to our psychiatry clinic for help with their depression. If we are able to detect risk factors, then we can implement preventative measures and earlier treatment.
What was the most important finding of this study, in your opinion?
DK: We found that adolescents with MDD demonstrated increased cardiovascular disease risk, compared with adolescents without MDD.
We used a continuous, previously validated measure of cardiovascular disease risk for children and tested adolescents with and without MDD. In the past, it’s been theorized that the increase in cardiovascular disease risk is a result of increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among individuals with MDD, but adolescents with and without MDD had similar body weights.
This suggests that MDD and cardiovascular disease may have shared underpinnings, rather a situation in which one condition causes the other.
How does this change service delivery in the future?
DK: Our study shows that we may have the opportunity to impact the future heart health of the adolescents that present to our clinics with depression. As psychiatrists and child mental health clinicians, we can educate our patients about this connection before cardiovascular concerns arise, while the window for prevention is still open, to improve their health in the long term. Our findings also reinforce the importance of providing integrated brain-body care in our clinical work.
Any next steps?
DK: Yes, and we are excited about them! We are now conducting further research examining the potential for novel interventions to improve both depression symptoms and cardiovascular disease risk for adolescents with MDD. Within our pilot trial, we have begun to consider the underlying pathways that connect depression and cardiovascular disease, and are planning an expanded trial.
What is the major take home message for the public?
DK: There is a connection between depression and heart health that starts early, during childhood, when prevention is possible. For adolescents with depression, and their parents, it's important to know that improvements in health behaviours (healthy and sufficient sleep, physical activity and diet) may help both their mood and their heart health long-term.
Special thanks to Jessica Muha, former IMS MSc student, Mahavir Agarwal (CAMH), Alene Toulany (SickKids), Chloe Hamza (OISE), Brian McCrindle (SickKids), and coauthors Kimberley Tsujimoto, Susan Campisi and Eric Tu (SickKids).
Read this month's ImPACT paper.
Muha J, Campisi SC, Tsujimoto K, Tu E, Agarwal SM, Toulany A, Hamza CA, Korczak DJ. Major Depressive Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children and Adolescents. Acad Pediatr. 2026 Jan-Feb;26(1):103112. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2025.103112. Epub 2025 Jul 17. PMID: 40683623.
