date of publication:
May 04, 2022 14:18 GMT
Update date: May 04, 2022 16:10 GMT
A recent medical study warned that constant anxiety or depression can have devastating effects on physical health and increase the risk of a fatal heart attack.
The study, published in the journal “Bioengineering” based in Britain and other countries, indicated that heart disease risk factors could have a greater relationship just by eating a poor diet and not exercising regularly.
The study, which was reported by the British newspaper “Daily Express”, said today, Wednesday: “Poor mental health also has a major impact on both blood pressure reading and heart health.”
“With mental health poor all the time, it’s time to be careful rather than ignore the condition as it can increase the risk of fatal heart disease.”
According to the study, scientists from the University of South Australia discovered another reason society pays more attention to mental health, which is closely related to blood pressure and heart rate changes.
She explained that a low heart rate is common in people with mental illnesses and indicates that the body’s response to stress is poor, exacerbating the negative effects of chronic stress.
The study pointed out that a strong link was found between mental illness and extreme fluctuations in blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and organ damage.
She stated that the search was carried out in four electronic databases in 2020, with studies that included blood pressure fluctuations in individuals with mental illnesses, especially anxiety, general disorder, depression, panic disorder and a feeling of hostility.
The study noted that “all studies related to short-term blood pressure found an increase in pressure in individuals with depression or panic disorder, which means that mental illness is significantly associated with increased blood pressure in young and middle-aged adults.”
She added: “Current reviews found that people with mental illness were significantly associated with increased blood pressure regardless of age, and these findings may have important implications for patients’ physical health and well-being in the future, highlighting the need to comprehensively reduce cardiovascular risk.”
According to the paper, Dr Renly Lim and colleagues from several Malaysian universities also found clear evidence that mental illness interferes with involuntary bodily functions, including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and breathing.
“We reviewed 12 studies of people with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder and found that, regardless of age, mental illness was significantly associated with greater blood pressure changes during the day,” Lim said.
He continued, “We also found that for people with mental illnesses, their heart rate does not adapt to external stresses as it should, and contrary to what many people think, a healthy heart is not a heart that beats like a regular machine. To withstand environmental and psychological challenges because a constantly changing heart rate is actually a sign of good health.”