Study Shows Depression, Anxiety, and Chronic Stress Can Increase Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Recent studies have highlighted the detrimental impact of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic stress on physical health, particularly in relation to heart and brain health. Research to be presented at the upcoming American Heart Association’s 2023 Scientific Sessions has shed light on the significant connection between psychological well-being and cardiovascular disease risk.
Anxiety and Depression as Drivers of Cardiovascular Risk
One study, led by Dr. Giovanni Civieri of the Cardiovascular Imaging Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, analyzed data from 71,262 adults without prior heart disease. The findings revealed that individuals with a history of anxiety or depression were at a 35% higher risk of major cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes. These individuals also developed new cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes, an average of six months earlier than their counterparts without such mental health conditions. Additionally, those with a high genetic susceptibility to stress experienced the onset of their first cardiovascular disease risk factor 1.5 years earlier than those without this genetic marker.
Dr. Civieri stressed the importance of recognizing the impact of negative psychological health on physical well-being, emphasizing the need for increased screening of individuals with depression or anxiety for cardiovascular risk factors.
The Cumulative Effects of Stress on Heart and Brain Health
Another study, conducted by Dr. Ijeoma Eleaju, a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, focused on the effects of accumulated stress on heart and brain health. The research, involving 2,685 adults without existing cardiovascular disease, found that higher cumulative stress scores were associated with a 22% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This culminated in heightened risks of atherosclerosis and conditions such as high blood pressure, hypertension, physical inactivity, and smoking.
Dr. Eleaju underscored the interconnected nature of mental and physical well-being, emphasizing the need for comprehensive care that addresses both aspects.
These findings serve as a compelling reminder of the importance of mental health in overall well-being, urging healthcare professionals to consider the significant impact of psychological well-being on cardiovascular health.
Depression, anxiety and stress increase cardiovascular disease by 22-35%.
Entered 2023.11.08 12:00 Views 1 Entered 2023.11.08 12:00 Modified 2023.11.08 11:29 View 1
Depression, anxiety, and chronic stress have all been shown to increase the risk of heart and brain health complications. [사진= 게티이미지뱅크]Depression, anxiety and stress don’t just harm your mental health. Research has shown that being psychologically unstable not only disturbs the mind, but also affects physical health, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Depression, anxiety and chronic stress all increase the risk of heart and brain health complications, according to two preliminary studies to be presented at the American Heart Association’s 2023 Scientific Sessions next week. There is a close connection between the heart and the mind.
The first study examined the mechanisms by which mental states affect heart health, finding that anxiety and depression promote the development of new cardiovascular disease risk factors.
The researchers, led by Dr. Giovanni Civieri, a researcher at the Cardiovascular Imaging Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, studied data from 71,262 adults who had no previous heart disease. Time to development of new cardiovascular disease risk factors was measured over 10 years of follow-up between December 2010 and December 2020.
The study found that 38% of all participants developed new cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes, during the follow-up period. Participants who had previously been diagnosed with anxiety or depression developed new risk factors an average of six months earlier than participants without depression or anxiety. In addition, depression and anxiety increased the risk of major cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke by around 35%. People with a high genetic susceptibility to stress developed their first cardiovascular disease risk factor at an average age of 1.5 years earlier than those without the genetic marker.
“We need to recognize that negative psychological health, such as depression or anxiety, can not only affect a patient’s mental state, but can also affect their physical health and heart disease risk,” said Dr Sivieri. “People with depression or anxiety should be screened more frequently for cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes,” he said.
In the second study, researchers examined the effects of accumulated stress on heart and brain health by examining questionnaires completed by 2,685 adults without existing cardiovascular disease.
The researchers, led by Ijeoma Eleaju, MD, a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, studied general daily stress, psychosocial stress (when stress threatens psychological or social functioning), financial stress, and perceived neighborhood stress over one- . The stress was integrated into the ‘cumulative stress score’.
The study found that the higher the cumulative stress score, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease increasing by 22%. The risk of atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries and reduces adequate blood flow, increased by 22 percent. In addition, cumulative stress scores were found to be associated with high blood pressure, hypertension, lack of physical activity, and smoking.
“The mind and the heart are connected,” said Dr Eleaju. “Taking care of the mind can affect physical health too.”
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