In a newly published study by Shervin Assari and Amanda Sonnega, symptoms of depression were found to be associated with greater incidence of heart disease in older black adults – but not in older white adults. The researchers analyzed data over 18 years on a group of respondents who began the study in their 50s and 60s. They found the risk of heart disease in those with symptoms of depression was nearly 30% higher in black than in white older adults. Sonnega says: “These findings suggest that efforts to improve detection and treatment of depression in African Americans may have the added of value of reducing their risk of heart disease.”

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