- Researchers say people under the age of 40 with mental health conditions have a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
- Experts say one of the key factors is the stress that can accompany mental health issues.
- They add that many people with a mental health condition also adopt unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as poor diet and lack of exercise.
People in their 20s and 30s who have mental health conditions are up to three times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
That’s according to a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology that looked at more than 6 million people.
The study authors said in a press release that lifestyle behaviors didn’t explain the increased risk.
They noted that one of every eight people in the 20-to-39-year-old category had some kind of mental health condition. The issues included depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
“Psychological problems were common in young adults and had strong links with cardiovascular health,” said Eue-Keun Choi, a study author and a professor at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea, in the press statement.
“The findings indicate that these individuals should receive regular health check-ups and medication if appropriate to prevent myocardial infarction and stroke,” Choi added. “While lifestyle behaviors did not explain the excess cardiovascular risk, this does not mean that healthier habits would not improve prognosis. Lifestyle modification should therefore be recommended to young adults with mental disorders to boost heart health.”
Researchers used the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, which covers the country’s entire population.
They looked at the association between mental health disorders in adults aged 20 to 39 years of age and the risks of developing myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.
The study focused on subjects who had health examinations between 2009 and 2012 and had no history of myocardial…
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