Suicide and cardiovascular diseases: is there a relation?

The article discusses a possible relation between suicide and cardiovascular diseases. It is stated that nowadays there is no accurate statistics on suicide among such patients. Still, authors show that there is high percentage of people whose cardio-vascular diseases could be a leading cause of suicide (21,6% males and 34,4% females). As probable factors that increase suicide risk high frequency of anxiety-depressive disorders among cardiac patients is marked. According to a number of publications these disorders determine suicide ideation for one in ten cardiac ischemia patients. Authors believe that there is a correlation between depression and decrease of commitment to therapy, which in some cases can also indicate suicidal activity. As objective statistics of high prevalence of suicide commitment among cardiac patients, that are not registered though, the authors provide data on cardiotropic drugs that are used for selfpoisoning. Cardio-vascular drugs (antihypertensive and antiarrhythmic drugs especially) stably take the second place after psychotropic drugs in the structure of drugs used for suicide. What is more, researches made in different regions of the country provide very similar indices: Nizhniy Novgorod - 12,6%, Tyumen - 13,5%. Conclusion is made that it is necessary to have more research in this area. Important directions are timely and qualified diagnostics of emotional disorders and suicide activity of cardiac hospital patients, the system of their registration and record, teaching cardiologists mental health specifics, improvement of drug therapy approaches.