"Our study provides much stronger evidence than we've ever had before that antidepressants are safe and may benefit these patients," said C. Barr Taylor, a physician at Stanford University School of Medicine who was the lead author of the study.
Depression and heart disease have long been recognized as companions, and one can lead to the other, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Depressed people may find it harder to take their medicines and depression can also result in elevated levels of stress hormones which can harm the heart.