High blood pressure has long been associated with depression but new research shows that the condition is actually connected with lower blood pressure. It’s the drugs used to treat depression that raise blood pressure. Antidepressant drugs, especially so-called tri-cyclics, can put patients at risk of hypertension and they need to be monitored.

The study actually raises the question as to whether low blood pressure can cause depression. It found that, statistically, people with low blood pressure are more likely to be depressed.

The research from the Netherlands disproves the theory that hypertension is associated with depression. However, the study showed that anxiety is often connected with high blood pressure.