Aim. The aim of this study was to review studies about the cause and development of cardiovascular diseases among people with depression.

Background.  Cardiovascular disease and depression are common and the research have shown the comorbidity of these two disorders.

Method. In this review study, different databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Springer, AHA journal, Biomed, Scope med, Elsevier, and WHO webpage were searched out by Persian and English forms of keywords like “depression and cardiovascular diseases”, “depression and endothelial system”, “depression and autonomic system”, “depression and inflammatory-immune system”, “depression and platelet activation”, “depression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis” and “depression in prenatal period”.

Findings. Suggested mechanisms of developing cardiovascular diseases by depression include dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, inflammatory-immune system, autonomic system, platelet activity, endothelial system and habit pattern changes (metabolic syndrome) and depression in prenatal period.

Conclusion. Findings show that HPA axis dysfunction provides the situation for autonomic system dysfunction. Forming of atheroma and thrombosis are faster in platelet dysfunction, endothelial system dysfunction and inflammatory-immune system dysfunction than the other destructive ways. On the other hand, as depression can cause inflammatory-immune system dysfunction, the process of endothelial system dysfunction can cause this too. No finding has been found about the relationship between severity of depression and development of cardiovascular diseases.