Depression, Poor Mental Health in Young Adults Linked to Higher Cardiovascular Risks
By American Heart Association News
(HealthDay)
TUESDAY, Jan. 31, 2023 (American Heart Association News) — Young adults with depression or overall poor mental health report more heart attacks, strokes and risk factors for cardiovascular disease than their peers without mental health issues, new research shows.
The findings, published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association, add to a large body of evidence linking cardiovascular disease risk and death with depression, but leave unanswered questions about how one may lead to the other.
“While the relationship between heart disease and depression is likely to be bidirectional, it’s important to prioritize mental health among younger adults as this may be beneficial in reducing heart disease and improving overall heart health,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Yaa Adoma Kwapong, a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Baltimore.
Kwapong and her colleagues