Medscape September 17, 2020
Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have an increased heart rate — a finding that may have the potential to identify individuals at risk for the disorder and predict treatment response, early research suggests.
Using the rapid-action of the novel antidepressant ketamine and the latest wearable 24-hour electrocardiogram (ECG) technology, investigators found that heart rate could distinguish MDD patients from healthy individuals.
They also found that patients with MDD with the highest resting heart rate had a greater treatment response. In fact, on average, depressed patients had a heart rate that was roughly 10 to 15 beats per minute higher than healthy controls.
The innovative study design of the proof-of-concept study “allowed us to see that average resting heart rate...
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