This article from the Psychiatric Times discusses Dr. Ornish’s thoughts on the the relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease.    Cardiovascular disease kills more people worldwide than everything else combined, said Dean Ornish, MD, cardiologist and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. Dr Ornish is well known for his lifestyle-driven approach to the control of cardiovascular disease. Depending on the extent of personalized lifestyle changes, disease progression can be stopped and even reversed.

Dr Ornish’s approach is based on pleasure rather than fear. Simple lifestyle changes—diet, excersise, meditation—can make a huge difference. Stress is reduced, health is improved, and thus life becomes more enjoyable. And, it is a spectrum of change—even the smallest change can make a difference in a person’s physical and/or mental health. For instance, just a few minutes a day of yoga or meditation can made a big difference in a person’s well-being. However, the bigger and more comprehensive the changes, the better the outcomes: moderate changes give moderate benefits, bigger changes provide greater benefits (eg, coming off medication). The more lifestyle changes that people make, the better they feel physically and mentally.

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