A recent study revealed depression and anxiety are associated with increased risk of cardiac diseases, and stroke.
According to research published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, these mood disorders trigger stress-related brain activity and nervous system responses, affecting your cardiac health.
For the study, researchers assessed data from over 85,500 participants in a large ongoing study at Mass General Brigham. Nearly 15,000 individuals had both depression and anxiety, while more than 15,800 had one of the two conditions.
Participants were followed for over three years, during that more than 3,000 experienced a heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.
Research revealed that individuals suffering from anxiety and depression showed an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
People diagnosed with both conditions experienced nearly a 32% greater risk in contrast to people who had only one.
These results remained strong even after considering different factors, including socioeconomic factors, and traditional risks such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.
Brain scans indicated increased activity in the amygdala, a region involved in stress, among individuals with these mood disorders.
Moreover, they showed increased levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.
These changes activate the body’s sympathetic nervous system, increasing heart rate, inflammation, and blood pressure.
Researchers stress the need for further studies to explore whether stress-reduction therapies can help lower heart risk.
