Broken Hearts, Broken Brains and the Blues

Abstract

Upwards of 30% of people with stroke, coronary heart disease and many other chronic disorders are clinically depressed. This is in contrast to roughly 5% of the general population. In this lecture we will explore the current biobehavioral theories about why depression might be so much more prevalent in acute and chronic cardiocerebrovascular disease, how our genes might interact, and what we can do to improve the quality of life for our patients with broken hearts, broken brains and the blues.