Newswise — Stony Brook, NY, April 12, 2017 – A study of more than 13,000 veterans with heart disease revealed that for those who also had depression, gaining access to and affording healthcare and medications is more difficult than those without depression. Led by Puja Parikh, MD, MPH, an interventional cardiologist at the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, the study findings magnify the importance of assessing issues related to veterans with heart disease and concomitant mental health disease.
The researchers presented their findings at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2017 Scientific Sessions. They used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey of 13,126 veterans who reported being told they had a heart attack, stroke, angina, or coronary artery disease by a health professional.
Of the patients with heart disease, 22 percent reported having also been diagnosed with depression. Compared with veteran heart patients without depression, those with depression were older with more chronic medical illnesses, including high blood pressure, kidney disease, obesity, and smoking. They were also twice as likely to report difficulty affording medical care; twice as likely to report delays in medical care; and 45 percent more likely to report difficulty with affording prescription drugs.
Data obtained from this study was via a telephone call to participants. The survey did not discern whether the veterans received care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities or other non-VA facilities. Data about the veteran participants in this study came from the participants’ own responses, rather than from medical records.
“All healthcare providers who treat veterans with depression should routinely ask their patients about any difficulty with being able to pay for medical care or medications,” said Dr. Parikh, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology and Director of Invasive Cardiology at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
For such veterans who have such problems affording healthcare, Dr. Parikh recommends that in some cases less expensive medications can be considered. Additionally, she suggests healthcare professionals caring for veterans work with a social worker to obtain vouchers or coupons from pharmaceutical companies to get further financial assistance with their medical costs.
“Further, VA-based research could shed more light on how mental illness affects heart disease care for veterans,” Dr. Parikh said “Also, future national surveys could include other mental health diagnoses that impact veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
Co-authors of the study include Pallavi Srivastava, MBBS, MPH; Javed Butler, MD, MPH; Matthew Lacey, BS; and A. Laurie Shroyer, PhD, MSHA.
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with more than 25,700 students, 2,500 faculty members, and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S.News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 40 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University is a driving force in the region’s economy, generating nearly 60,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of $4.65 billion. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.
RSS