Depression and High Blood Pressure: Is There a Connection?

Depression is a common health condition that affects about 5% of adults. It’s more common in women and people over the age of 60, but it can affect people of all ages and groups. If you have depression, it can also affect your physical health — including your blood pressure. 

If you have both depression and high blood pressure (hypertension), it’s important to understand the connection between the two. Small changes to your daily routine can help manage both conditions. 

Can depression cause high blood pressure​? 

It turns out that the link between hypertension and depression is a bit complicated. Research shows that over time, people with depression are more likely to develop high blood pressure. But this doesn’t necessarily mean depression directly causes high blood pressure. Researchers are still trying to understand the relationship between these two conditions.

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For example, research has also shown that people with untreated high blood pressure are less likely to have depression. The reason for this isn’t clear. Scientists are still exploring several different theories. 

So, depression might cause high blood pressure. But high blood pressure doesn’t cause depression.

How are depression and high blood pressure​ linked? 

Depression is stressful for both your mind and your body. This kind of stress causes spikes in stress hormones. These include cortisol, which can raise your blood pressure. Stress is also linked to higher levels of inflammation. This can also give you higher blood pressure.

But as we explained above, there’s more to the story. Despite these effects, people with depression tend to have lower blood pressure than those without depression. 

The medications for depression can also have an effect on your blood pressure. More specifically, some antidepressants can actually raise your blood pressure. But most of the time your blood pressure won’t change. Each person will react differently to these medications. This is one reason why it’s important to follow up with your healthcare team when starting a new medication or when the dose is changed.

Medications for high blood pressure may also affect depression. For some people, medications like beta blockers can make depression worse. But research has shown that most of the time beta blockers have no effect on depression. And some blood pressure medications (including some beta blockers) might even lower your chances of depression.

What are the risk factors for depression and high blood pressure? 

Certain risk factors can make both depression and blood pressure worse. These include:

• Chronic stress, like job insecurity or difficult relationships

• Stress eating, especially ultra-processed foods

• Smoking

• Excessive alcohol use

• Lack of exercise

• Poor sleep quality

Both conditions can happen even if you have a healthy lifestyle and little stress. That’s because they’re both medical conditions influenced by many factors, including genetics.

How can you lower your blood pressure if you have depression? 

If you have depression and high blood pressure, there are some lifestyle changes that may help you manage both. These don’t have to be large, sweeping changes. They can be small changes that you build upon — one day at a time. Here are some examples:

• Get outside for a 10-minute daily walk. 

• If you snack when you’re stressed, keep something nutritious on hand. For example, fruit or nuts can boost your mood while also helping your blood pressure. 

• Cut back on alcohol. If quitting completely seems like too much, try strategies to decrease the number of drinks you have each week.

• Ask for help quitting smoking. If you’re unsure how to start, ask your healthcare team for help. 

• Make changes to your bedtime routine. There are many changes you can make to train your body to get better sleep. Start by getting into bed at the same time every night.

It’s also important to check in with a healthcare professional if your blood pressure is up. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg. If your blood pressure is often over 130/80, it falls within the high blood pressure range. 

Depression — and depression medications — affect each person differently. Your healthcare team will work with you to find a medication, or combination, that fits you best. 

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Written by:

Sarah A. Samaan, MD

Sarah Samaan, MD, FACC, FACP, FASE is a board-certified cardiologist who practiced clinical cardiology for nearly 30 years. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and the American Society of Echocardiography.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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