Heart patients should be screened for depression

Heart patients should be regularly screened for signs of depression, the American Heart Association recommended last week.

Depression is about three times more common in heart attack survivors and those hospitalized with heart problems than the general population, according to the recommendations published in the journal <i>Circulation</i>. The authors said only about half of heart doctors say they treat depression in their patients - and not all those diagnosed with depression are treated.

"I think we could reduce considerable suffering and improve outcomes," by screening, said Erika Froelicher,...