Treating depression with talk therapy may provide protection against heart disease, research suggests. And as depression lifts, people may begin to engage more in healthy eating and exercise.

In a study of nearly 637,000 people who took part in talk therapy offered by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), those whose depression symptoms improved were 12 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, stroke and death, researchers found.

“It is the first time that such a link is established; however, it is important to note that our study does not prove a causal effect, namely that the lower likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease is caused by the psychological therapy,” said lead author Celine El Baou, a research assistant at the Dementia Research Centre of University College London. “The study suggests that talking therapies for depression may also help in reducing the future risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Depressive symptoms were measured using a questionnaire that considers such factors as sleep issues, lack of interest in doing things, and low mood. These findings were then linked to patients’ healthcare records to look for heart events.

The study also uncovered a link between age and benefit from talk therapy. People under age 60 whose depression eased after talk therapy had a 15 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 22 percent lower risk of premature death from all causes, the study found.

Patients over 60 saw a smaller benefit. Their risk for heart disease dropped 5 percent and they had a 14 percent lower risk of early death from other causes.