We thank Alcocer-Gómez and Cordero for their Correspondence (NLRP3 inflammasome: common nexus between depression and cardiovascular diseases. Nat.Rev.Cardiol.http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2016.214;2017)1 on our Review (Depression and coronary heart disease. Nat.Rev.Cardiol.http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2016.181;2016)2. Alcocer-Gómez and Cordero correctly note the omission of discussion about the NLRP3 inflammasome complex from our Review2; however, only about two pages of our Review concerned mechanisms, and inflammatory processes were one of six possibilities that were briefly considered. We focused mainly on factors that have been empirically evaluated as potential mediators between depression and cardiac events. To our knowledge, the NLRP3 inflammasome complex has yet to be studied in this context.

Nevertheless, we share Alcocer-Gómez and Cordero's enthusiasm for the potential of the NLRP3 inflammasome complex to explain, at least partially, the connection between depression and cardiac events. We, therefore, encourage the authors to consider a direct test of their hypothesis that this complex is on a pathway linking depression to an increased risk of cardiac events. Such a study would make a substantial contribution to this area of research.