Depressed young adults more likely to develop heart diseases: Study

According to the latest research, young adults who feel depressed or with poor mental health days have higher rates or heart attacks, strokes, and risk factors for heart diseases. 

Garima Sharma, Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine and senior author of the study said that adults may feel overwhelmed or his/her heart rate and blood pressure rise when they are stressed, anxious or depressed, as per PTI reports.

The author said it is common that feeling low could lead to making poor lifestyle choices like consuming alcohol, smoking, sleeping less, or not being physically active-all adverse conditions that negatively impact your heart. 

All the researchers analyzed data from 593,616 adults who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a self-reported, nationally representative survey conducted between 2017 and 2020, the study added.

The research included various questions like whether they have ever been told they have a depressive disorder, how many days they experienced poor mental health in the past month, whether they had experienced a heart attack, stroke, or chest pain, and if they had cardiovascular disease risk factors, it said.

It further stated that risk factors included high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight or obese, diabetes, and poor physical activity and diet, PTI reported. 

“The relationship between depression and heart disease is a two-way street. Depression increases your risk of heart issues, and those with heart disease experience depression,” said Yaa Adoma Kwapong, a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine and lead author of the study.

Kwapong said the study suggests that people need to prioritize mental health among young adults and increase screening for the same. 

Recently, another study also stated that the number of cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths in the US increased by 6.2% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The number of CVD-related deaths increased from 874,613 in 2019 to 928,741 in 2020, marking the biggest annual increase since 2015 and surpassing the previous high of 910,000 in 2003.

According to the latest research, young adults who feel depressed or with poor mental health days have higher rates or heart attacks, strokes, and risk factors for heart diseases. 

Garima Sharma, Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine and senior author of the study said that adults may feel overwhelmed or his/her heart rate and blood pressure rise when they are stressed, anxious or depressed, as per PTI reports.

The author said it is common that feeling low could lead to making poor lifestyle choices like consuming alcohol, smoking, sleeping less, or not being physically active-all adverse conditions that negatively impact your heart. 

All the researchers analyzed data from 593,616 adults who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a self-reported, nationally representative survey conducted between 2017 and 2020, the study added.

The research included various questions like whether they have ever been told they have a depressive disorder, how many days they experienced poor mental health in the past month, whether they had experienced a heart attack, stroke, or chest pain, and if they had cardiovascular disease risk factors, it said.

It further stated that risk factors included high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight or obese, diabetes, and poor physical activity and diet, PTI reported. 

“The relationship between depression and heart disease is a two-way street. Depression increases your risk of heart issues, and those with heart disease experience depression,” said Yaa Adoma Kwapong, a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine and lead author of the study.

Kwapong said the study suggests that people need to prioritize mental health among young adults and increase screening for the same. 

Recently, another study also stated that the number of cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths in the US increased by 6.2% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The number of CVD-related deaths increased from 874,613 in 2019 to 928,741 in 2020, marking the biggest annual increase since 2015 and surpassing the previous high of 910,000 in 2003.