Research Team Led by Prof. Jong-Il Choi and Yoon-Ki Kim of Anam Hospital 

Our thoughts, memories, and emotions are the results of reactions in the brain. However, throughout human history, the mind and heart have been considered as the organs most closely related to each other. This perspective has persisted until today, and evidence to support this is found in linguistic and cultural traditions. Now, a study has revealed that the mind and heart are actually co-related, and the outcomes of the study have been published, drawing attention from around the world.

A research team led by Professors Jong-il Choi and Yoon-ki Kim from the Department of Cardiology, Kyu-man Han from the Department of Psychiatry at KU Anam Hospital, and Professor Kyung-do Han from the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at Soongsil University found a close relationship between depression and atrial fibrillation. To date, the risk of atrial fibrillation in people with depression has not been clearly understood, but the research team revealed the relationship between diseases involving the mind and heart by assessing big data from Korea.

The research team analyzed 10 years of data for 5 million people 20 years or older without any heart conditions among those who received a national health exam from 2002 to 2008. The study found that the risk of atrial fibrillation was 1.25 times higher in patients with depression, 1.17 times higher in the absence of a recurrence of a depressive episode, and 1.32 times higher in those with recurring episodes. In particular, the lower the age, the higher the risk of development, and the highest association was found in those aged 20 to 39, who have a 1.58 times higher risk.

Professor Choi said, "If you have depression, you should check your heart condition on a regular basis in addition to your mental health so that you can prevent atrial fibrillation, which can cause severe complications, such as cerebral infarction, dementia, and heart failure." He also stressed, "According to this study, the risk of developing atrial fibrillation is higher in young people with depression, and you should keep in mind that you are vulnerable even though you are still young. Especially those who have depression are recommended to have regular medical check-ups because early diagnosis and active treatment increase the possibility of curing atrial fibrillation."

The study, titled "Association of Depression with Atrial Fibrillation in South Korean Adults," was published in the sister journal of the American Medical Association, American Medical Association Network Open.