A new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific session shows that people with certain genetic traits and those with anxiety and depression are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than others during periods of social or political stress. The risk of heart attack is significantly higher. Researchers said the findings suggest an opportunity to identify people at high risk and perhaps even prevent cardiac events.

Doctors have long noticed that heart attacks tend to spike during certain times of the year, such as the winter holidays, but they aren’t sure why. Trends in heart attacks and other cardiac events around major elections and sporting events are poorly reported. This study is the first to investigate the genetic basis of stress susceptibility as a potential factor behind acute coronary syndromes (ACS), including heart attacks and other serious conditions in which blood supply to the heart is suddenly lost. It is something. The results showed that people with high genetic stress susceptibility were at increased risk of developing ACS during stressful times, and the risk more than tripled for people who also had anxiety or depression.

“We found that people who are genetically predisposed to stress tend to have surprisingly high odds of developing a heart attack after these stressful events,” says the Massachusetts State University Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Imaging Research. said Dr. Shady Abohashem, instructor of cardiovascular imaging at the center. Hospital and Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study. “This study has identified new elements that can be incorporated into screening to identify people at high risk. This can also help develop prevention strategies and help us think about how we can intervene. It’s helpful.”

The study was based on data from 18,428 people who provided health information and blood samples to the Mass General Brigham Biobank, a research program of the Massachusetts General Brigham Health System. All participants’ records included the Neuroticism Polygenic Risk Score (nPRS), an established measure that reflects a person’s genetic predisposition to stress.

Researchers analyzed nPRS scores of people who experienced an ACS event during a period of sociopolitical stress, those who experienced an ACS event during a control period, and those who did not experience an ACS.

The study found that periods considered to have high levels of social or political stress include the 10 days after Christmas each year, the 5 days after each presidential election, and major sporting events involving Boston (such as the Super Bowl and NBA (e.g. playoffs). area team. As a control, the researchers compared these high-stress periods to other days of the year.

According to the results, 1,890 study participants experienced ACS during the 20-year study period from 2000 to 2020. People with nPRS scores above the median were 34% more likely to experience ACS during stressful periods than during control periods, even after the researchers accounted for it. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as age, gender, smoking, and diabetes, as well as health behaviors such as alcohol intake.

Those with higher nPRS scores were also more likely to experience anxiety and depression. Researchers found that nearly a quarter of the association between nPRS scores and stress-induced ACS was associated with having anxiety or depression. Those who exceeded the median nPRS and also developed anxiety or depression were 3.2 times more likely to experience ACS after a stressful event than during the control period.

Although nPRS is not currently widely used in clinical settings for cardiovascular risk screening or psychiatric assessment, the results of this study suggest that future use of this genetic test may be more widespread to help physicians assess risk. This suggests it may be useful in identifying people with high blood pressure, the researchers said. Even if genetic screening is not possible, screening for anxiety and depression can be done in most clinics and can help identify high-risk patients, Abohahem said.

“We know that there are certain factors contributing to the increase in heart attacks in people who are at increased risk,” Abohachem said. “Target these people with dual-benefit interventions such as screening and exercise, yoga, mindfulness, or other approaches associated with reducing anxiety and depression and lowering cardiovascular risk. may be possible.”

In many parts of the U.S., people face difficulty accessing mental health support due to a lack of health care providers and other barriers, Abohahem said, although telehealth has expanded access to some extent. said. Abohashem said primary care physicians could also raise awareness and guide patients toward lifestyle modifications such as exercise and sleep hygiene that can help reduce stress.

Because this study was a retrospective analysis, it cannot definitively demonstrate a causal relationship between anxiety or depression and increased risk of ACS. The researchers said prospective, diverse studies could help further explain this relationship.

This research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Abohachem will be speaking in Hall B4 on Monday, April 8, 2024 at 10:45 AM ET/14:45 PM UTC on “Genetic Susceptibility to Stress Syndromes” by Sociopolitical Stress. We present a study titled “Increasing the risk of acute coronary syndrome.” Five.

ACC.24 Held in Atlanta from April 6-8, 2024, it will bring together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world to share the latest discoveries in treatment and prevention.to follow @ACCinTouch, @ACCMediaCenter and #ACC24 Check out the latest news from the conference.

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