In past studies, depression, anxiety and psychotic disorders have been associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Now, a new study links a wider range of mental disorders to the condition.
Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton in the UK, along with colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, published the results of their latest study in the journal Circulation.
Coronary heart disease (CHD), also known as coronary artery disease, is caused by the plaque build-up in the arteries leading to the heart.
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In this latest study, the researchers found that men with mental disorders have a higher risk of developing CHD.
Using data from the Swedish Cause of Death Register and the Country’s National Hospital Discharge Register, the team evaluated over 1 million Swedish men who were born between 1950 and 1976.
These men had previously undergone psychiatric and medical assessments for the military – the average age of conscription was 18.3 – and they were subsequently followed-up for nearly 22 years.
The researchers found an increased risk of developing heart disease in men who were diagnosed with mental disorders around the age of 18, as well as in those who were later admitted to the hospital for psychiatric disorders.
Specifically, they identified an increased risk for CHD across a wide range of mental conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, neurotic disorders, personality disorders and substance-use disorders.
The findings, say the investigators, show that the association between mental disorders and CHD is not limited to a few disorders or even to those individuals whose disorder is severe.
Although the researchers took other factors into account, such as smoking habits, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity levels, intelligence and socioeconomic status, they found that these factors did not “significantly influence any link.”
Catherine Gale, a researcher from the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton, explains:
“Our findings suggest that mental disorders pose a huge public health burden in terms of premature illness and death due to coronary heart disease. The physical health care of people with mental disorders needs to be a priority for clinicians if this burden is to be reduced.”
The team adds that the highest risk was observed in individuals whose mental condition required that they be admitted to the hospital.
Medical News Today recently reported on a study that suggested a positive attitude may increase the lifespan of heart disease patients.