The American Heart Association now makes that new recommendation which is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association.

Studies revealed high rates of depression among heart disease patients.

They unveiled evidence that depressed patients are less likely to take their medications as directed, improve their diets, exercise and attend cardiac rehab.

The recommendations call for early and repeated depression screenings, and follow-up care should heart patients have signs of the disorder.

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If you have taken a week-long sick leave listen up ...

you might want to visit the doctor again for another check-up.

A new British study finds that employees who were absent for a week or more at least once in the past 3 years had a 70 percent increased chance of premature death.

The doctors say... surgery more than doubled the odds.

Heart disease or stroke treatment lead to a more than four times greater risk .

Psychiatric illness increased early death risk... by about a factor or two.

A cold or flu did not raise the risk.

British researchers followed more than six thousand employees for an average of 13 years.