Depression and anxiety are linked to a higher risk of heart attack, heart disease and stroke, and researchers now think they know why.
These mood disorders appear to drive brain activity and nervous system responses that place additional stress on the heart, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging.
"These findings give us a clearer biological picture of how emotional distress 'gets under the skin' and affects cardiovascular health," said lead researcher Dr. Shady Abohashem, head of cardiac PET/CT imaging trials at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
"For clinicians, it's a reminder to view mental health as an integral part of cardiovascular risk assessment," he said in a news release. "For patients, it's encouragement that addressing chronic stress, anxiety or depression is not just a mental health priority, it's also a heart health priority."
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