A new study suggests that exercise may reduce the chances of developing heart disease for people with depression, Health reports.

"Depression and physical inactivity have been shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who reviewed the study's findings.

"Although associations [in the study] were found between depression and artery function, which was improved in people who exercise regularly, additional studies are needed before we can conclude that exercise reduces heart disease risk in those with depression," he said.

The researchers found that people who were suffering from depression and were physically inactive had stiffer and more inflamed aortas, as compared to depressed people who exercised.

"Our findings highlight the link between worsening depression and cardiovascular risk and support routinely assessing depression in patients to determine heart disease risk," said Dr. Arshed Quyyumi, an author of the study and co-director of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute in Atlanta, in the press release.

The new study was published in the Jan. 11 online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

For the new study, the researchers studied around 1000 volunteers who were free of heart disease and had no earlier diagnosis of a psychotic or anxiety disorder. 

"This research also demonstrates the positive effects of exercise for all patients, including those with depressive symptoms," Quyyumi said in a journal news release.

The researchers pointed out that as many as 20 percent of people hospitalized with a heart attack are depressed.

Also, patients with heart disease have three times the risk of developing depression as compared to the general population.