2023-05-10 10:45:28
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – A new study shows that adults in their twenties and thirties who suffer from mental disorders are more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.
The study, published Monday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, looked at the health data of more than 6.5 million people from a database of the Korea National Health Insurance Service.
The people in the new study ranged in age from 20 to 39, and had health screenings between 2009 and 2012. Their health was monitored until December 2018, looking to determine the onset of heart attacks and strokes.
According to the study, about 13% of the participants suffered from some kind of mental disorder, which includes insomnia, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or a personality disorder.
The study found that people under the age of 40 with a mental disorder were 58% more likely to have a heart attack and 42% more likely to have a stroke compared to people without the disorder.
“We’ve known for some time that mental health and physical health are linked, but what I find surprising about these findings is that these connections were evident at such a young age,” said Dr. Catherine Ehrlich, assistant professor of behavioral and brain sciences at the University of Georgia, who was not involved in the research. “.
She pointed out that coronary artery disease and heart attacks are rare before the age of forty, so a large study like this was needed to find out the relationship between mental health and exposure (to heart diseases and heart attacks) that are not common in young people.
Mental health and lifestyle
Ehrlich wanted to learn more about the physical activity and diets of the subjects in order to better understand whether these factors influence the relationship between mental health conditions, heart attacks, and stroke.
The study indicated that the increased risk could not be attributed to the disparity in approved lifestyles only, as the authors adjusted for factors that included age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, smoking, alcohol, and activity. physical, and income.
This does not mean that lifestyle should be ignored, said study author Dr. Ew-kyun Choi, a professor of internal medicine at the College of Medicine at Seoul National University in South Korea.
“While lifestyle behaviors do not explain the increased cardiovascular risk, this does not mean that adopting healthy habits will not improve the prognosis of disease course,” Choi said in a statement. He pointed out, “Therefore, it should be recommended to modify the lifestyle of young people with mental disorders to promote heart health.”
Changes and checks
Study author Dr. Chan Soon Park, a researcher at Seoul National University Hospital, said that in South Korea, one out of every eight people between the ages of 20 and 39 suffers from some kind of mental illness, which means that a large number of people may be at risk of heart attack and stroke. ischemic;
Park added that this may indicate a greater need to manage psychiatric conditions and monitor heart health in those at risk.
In this regard, Ehrlich said: “If we can reduce the number of people who suffer from chronic mental illness, we may find secondary benefits in the coming years in terms of the number of people treated for heart-related diseases.”
It’s important to note, she added, that the results don’t show that mental illness causes heart attacks or strokes. But the research does point to a risk factor to watch out for.
Ehrlich added that there may be a benefit from preventive measures in terms of reducing risks, and may include maintaining a healthy diet and incorporating physical activity.
Choi recommended that people with mental health conditions get regular check-ups as well.
He added that these findings may also underscore the importance of addressing loneliness.
“Many people with mental illness suffer from social isolation and loneliness, and for years researchers have been sounding the alarm that loneliness can harm physical health,” Ehrlich said.
“Efforts to improve social cohesion among young people may be critical to addressing the increasing rates of cardiovascular disease in adulthood,” she added.
#Study #Mental #health #disorders #young #people #expose #heart #attacks #strokes #future