Angelos Halaris, MD, PhD
New Evidence for Link Between Depression and Heart Disease
A Loyola University Medical Center psychiatrist is proposing a new subspecialty to diagnose and treat patients who suffer both depression and heart disease. He's calling it "Psychocardiology."Yes, that sounds like a great idea. You really should start a whole new discipline. Let us know when you've narrowed down your research to one of the most common and extensively documented human pathogens.
Stress is the key to understanding the association between depression and heart disease. Stress can lead to depression, and depression, in turn, can become stressful. The body's immune system fights stress as it would fight a disease or infection.Umm, No. Stress is a symptom, not a cause. This IS basic infectious disease. Microbes cause heart disease and immune activity inhibits the nervous system, causing anxiety and depression. (For the record- grandiose thinking is a symptom too.)
Try strep- not stress.
Besides, there already are a couple specialties that could cover this territory, but haven't. Rheumatology. (have some steroids.) Periodontistry. (have some antibiotics.)
And while we're being grandiose-
If I were choosing a specialty for you in the Brave New World- you would be a dental hygienist.
