A study carried out over a year in Toulouse looked in depth at the overall consequences of the health restriction measures imposed from March to May 2020. The results show significant effects on the mental and physical health of the participants.
- A survey carried out by Inserm and the Toulouse University Hospital reveals that the first confinement increased the risk of cardiovascular disorders in 63% of the 534 people questioned
- Consequences on health mainly linked to a degraded diet and weight gain
We know: the spring 2020 confinement (which was held from March 17 to May 11) considerably harmed the health of the French, in particular on stress and anxiety. According to this Toulouse study, confinement is associated with 35% of symptoms of depression and 35% of symptoms of anxiety. But the consequences are not just psychological.
Carried out by researchers from the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Toulouse and Inserm, the survey was conducted among 534 people from Haute-Garonne, aged between 50 and 89 years. Participants were interviewed three times over separate periods: June 2020, December 2020 and May 2021.
The questions related to specific health data, in particular the physical symptoms experienced during this period, the state of morale or the taking of medication (regular or occasional). The first results of this survey, published in December 2020, highlighted an increase in cardiovascular risks in 63% of those questioned, in particular due to a drop in physical activity and a deterioration in diet.
Increase in alcohol consumption and smoking
The second part of the survey, published on February 1 in the International Journal of Environmental. Research and Public Health evoked a 12% increase in the consumption of drugs, in particular for the control of diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
In addition, 65% of participants reduced their physical activity, 27% reported weight gain (an additional 3.5 kg on average) and 61% reported a lower quality diet (more fatty and sugary foods and more alcohol). The study also indicates an increase in tobacco consumption among 9% of respondents. Eight of them reported an acute cardiovascular event (ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis in the arteries of the lower limbs).
“As much as the serious forms of Covid-19, the long-term consequences of confinement on mental health and cardiovascular health will have to be taken into account in the subjects most at risk”, underlines in a statement Professor Jean Ferrières, professor in the cardiology department of Toulouse University Hospital and researcher at Inserm.
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