New approaches to therapy and prevention could focus on the interaction between mental and physical health
Our mental health and that of our cardiovascular system are in a complex interaction. A current study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig now shows the connections between higher blood pressure and depressive symptoms, well-being and emotion-related brain activity, which could be relevant for the development of high blood pressure.
© Blueastro/Shutterstock.com Mental and cardiovascular health are interrelated. © Blueastro/Shutterstock.com
Several studies have previously reported a link between mental health and high blood pressure, with mixed or even conflicting results. In their study, the researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences have now analyzed in depth the relationship between mental health, higher blood pressure and high blood pressure in people in their mid-60s, using extensive psychological, medical and imaging data from the older population . “In order to obtain statistically reliable answers, we used the extremely large sample size of the UK Biobank with over 500,000 study participants. We were able to show that higher blood pressure is associated with fewer depressive symptoms, greater well-being and lower emotion-related brain activity – which is surprising at first, but can be explained by our further results,” reports Lina Schaare, first author of the study.
Interestingly, the scientists also find that the risk of high blood pressure is linked to poorer mental health years before hypertension is diagnosed. “In the clinic, we observe that those affected often feel tired and exhausted and then do not take their medication for the high blood pressure because it also affects their mood,” explains Arno Villringer, who heads the Department of Neurology at the Max Planck Institute heads and is the last author of the study. “On the other hand, we suspect that in individuals who feel mentally good with transiently higher blood pressure, reinforcement learning ultimately contributes to the development of long-term hypertension. With higher blood pressure, the pain threshold also rises. This applies not only to physical pain, but also to social pain or major stress. So you endure the pain or stress and then ten years later you are diagnosed with hypertension.”
The researchers believe that these results provide the basis for new thinking about the link between mental health and the causes of hypertension. Such a change of perspective could enable new approaches to therapy and prevention for the widespread diseases of depression and high blood pressure, which emphasize the interaction between mental and physical health.