A Korean study recently observed an association between mental disorders and the risk of developing heart disease such as stroke or myocardial infarction in young adults under the age of 40.
- According to a new study, mental disorders may be associated with higher risks of developing myocardial infarction or stroke.
- The researchers observed that volunteers affected by a mental disorder had a 58% higher risk of myocardial infarction.
- According to scientists, young adults suffering from mental illnesses should undergo frequent medical check-ups, in order to prevent the risk of heart problems.
Could mental disorders in young adults promote the occurrence of heart disorders? In any case, this is what a new study from Seoul National University (South Korea) suggests. These works have been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Mental disorders increase risk of stroke in young adults
To reach this conclusion, the scientists recruited 6,557,727 Koreans between the ages of 20 and 39 who had a health examination between 2009 and 2012 and had no history of heart attack or stroke. Among the volunteers, one subject in eight suffered from a mental illness such as depression, anxiety or insomnia. During the follow-up, which lasted more than 7 years, 16,133 myocardial infarctions and 10,509 strokes were recorded among the participants.
According to the results, volunteers with any mental disorder had a 58% higher risk of myocardial infarction, as well as a 42% higher risk of stroke, compared to subjects who did not. had no mental disorder.
Mental Disorders: Changing Lifestyles to Improve Heart Health
In a second step, the researchers analyzed the associations between mental and cardiac disorders according to the age and sex of the participants. They then found that depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and personality disorders were linked to a higher risk of myocardial infarction in participants in their twenties than those in their thirties.
For scientists, these results should lead young adults suffering from mental disorders to regularly undergo health examinations, in order to prevent the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. “If lifestyle behaviors do not explain excess cardiovascular risk, this does not mean that healthier habits would not improve prognosis. Young adults with mental disorders should therefore be advised to modify their lifestyle to improve their heart health,” explained Professor Eue-Keun Choi, author of the study and researcher at Seoul National University Medical School.
