Being Physically Fit Reduces Depression Risk After Heart Attack

People who are physically fit may be less likely to become depressed after a heart attack. Researchers looked at 189 middle-aged and older Norwegians and found that those who exercised regularly in the years preceding their heart attack were less than half as likely to become depressed after a myocardial infarction than those who rarely or never exercised. The findings are important as heart attack survivors are three time more likely to have depression. Though the study did not prove cause and effect, it certainly appears that exercise protects against depression after a heart attack.
The American Journal of Medicine, February 2016