Physical health and mental health are intertwined, forming a whole that shapes an individual’s overall state of health. This is important to consider at a time when the mental health of global populations has deteriorated considerably.
According to the World Health Organization, one in eight people worldwide lives with a mental disorder, which has implications for physical health. Eating disorders, insomnia, exhaustion or weakening of the immune system are among the potential repercussions of mental health disorders.
A team of international researchers, primarily from South Korea and the United Kingdom, studied the impact of these disorders on the cardiovascular health of some 6.5 million adults aged 20 to 39 years.
Published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service and focused on participants who underwent health examinations between 2009 and 2012 with no history of heart attack or stroke.
The researchers noted that the average age of the participants was 31 years. More than half were 30 years or older, and one out of eight study participants had a mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety or insomnia.
The scientists looked at a potential association between the mental disorders observed and the risk of developing a myocardial infarction and/or an ischemic stroke after adjusting for certain factors such as age, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, high blood pressure, and physical activity.
To do this, they followed the participants until December 2018 – and counted by the end of their research 16,133 myocardial infarctions and 10,509 strokes.
Their findings show that people with any kind of mental disorder were 58% and 42% more likely to suffer a heart attack or a stroke, respectively, than other participants.
In detail, the risk of heart attack was 1.97 times higher for those with eating disorders, 1.73 times higher for those with insomnia, 1.72 times higher for those with depression, and 1.53 times higher for anxiety.
The same was found for strokes, with a risk 1.60 times higher for depression, 1.45 times higher for insomnia, and 1.38 times higher for anxiety.
“Patients with mental health problems are known to have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, with the majority of deaths due to physical illnesses,” said study author Chan Soon Park of Seoul National University Hospital.
“Our study shows that substantial numbers of young adults have at least one mental health problem, which may predispose them to heart attack and stroke.
“Future research should examine the cardiovascular benefits of managing psychological problems and monitoring heart health in this vulnerable group.”
Previous studies have shown that physical activity – whether it’s yoga, brisk walking, fitness, or other activities – can be beneficial in improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.
This is further supported by a recent report presented by the WHO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, stating that at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week could prevent 11.5 million new cases of non-communicable diseases by 2050, including depression.
Another avenue to explore is the prescription of nature baths, which could be beneficial to mental health.