Adults in their 20s and 30s with mental disorders have a higher chance of having a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Health data of more than 6.5 million people ranged in age from 20 to 39 who underwent health examinations between 2009 and 2012. Their health was monitored until December 2018 for new onset heart attacks and stroke.
About 13% of participants had some type of mental disorder — which included insomnia, anxiety, depression, somatoform disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or a personality disorder, according to the study.
People younger than 40 with a mental disorder were 58% more likely to have a heart attack and 42% more likely to have a stroke than those with no disorder.
Scientists would like to know more about the physical activity and diets of the people involved to understand better if those factors have an influence on the relationship between mental health conditions and heart attack and stroke. If people are chronically depressed, they may struggle to maintain a healthy diet and get adequate physical activity, which may increase the risk for cardiac events over time. But the increased risk could not be attributed to lifestyle differences alone, as the authors controlled for factors including age, sex, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and income, the study said.
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