The Heart Risk You May Not Know You Have

Your brain and your body are more connected than you think. Here's how mental distress could take a toll on your ticker.

 

Feeling blue? Your heart could be at risk, too. Men with mental disorders—including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and others—are more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease, according to new U.K. research.  In the study, being diagnosed with a mental disorder was associated with a 53 percent increased risk of developing heart disease. And while all types of mental issues were associated with an uptick in ticker trouble, the risk rose even more—to 134 percent—if the disorder was serious enough to require hospitalization.

 

But lifestyle factors—not just brain chemicals—may play a significant role, says study author Catharine Gale, Ph.D. “Smoking tends to be more common among people with mental health disorders along with poor diet and lack of exercise.” The head and the heart are also closely linked: “Prolonged mental distress influences the progression of ‘atherosclerosis’ where fatty deposits build up in the arteries, encouraging blood clotting,” she adds.

 

If you’ve got a mental disorder—alcohol or other substance-use disorders, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, or another one—don’t ignore it. Treatment—whether it’s counseling or medication—can protect your mental and physical health. But if you’re on meds, be careful: “While there’s some information that the use of antidepressants may reduce cardiovascular risk, there’s also evidence that certain antipsychotic drugs increase your risk because they’re associated with weight gain, dyslipidaemia, and impaired glucose metabolism,” Dr. Gale says.

Work with your doctor to keep your health in check or discuss switching to similar drugs with less-severe side effects.