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- Physical activity affects the brain’s stress response and can help reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, according to new research.
- Researchers found that people who met recommended levels of physical activity had a 23% lower risk of heart disease.
- Patients with depression were able to derive much greater benefit from physical activity.
- Experts say the relationship between depression and heart disease can go both ways, with heart disease developing from behaviors associated with symptoms related to depression and anxiety.
Results of a new study show that the effects of physical activity on stress and related mood states can protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD).
This research Journal of the American College of Cardiology The study, led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, examined the medical records of more than 50,000 people who completed surveys about physical activity from the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank.
A smaller subset of 774 study participants also underwent brain imaging tests to help measure stress-related brain activity.
After a median follow-up of 10 years, the researchers found that 12.9% of participants developed CVD. People who achieved recommended levels of physical activity had a 23% lower risk of developing CVD than those who did not.
Researchers found an inverse relationship between physical activity and stress-related brain activity. In other words, higher levels of exercise reduce stress-related brain activity levels. People with stress-related brain diseases such as depression were able to derive far greater benefits from physical activity.
Exercise was “about twice as effective at lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with depression,” said Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist and one of the researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center. That’s what it means.
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.
Depression affects approximately
“It’s important to note that this is a very important finding,” said Chen-Han Chen, M.D., a board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the structural heart program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif., who was not involved in the study. Today’s medical news The relationship between CVD and depression is symbiotic. He said there are many other stress-related conditions that can be a type of breeding ground for CVD.
“There is a close relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease, and it is a two-way street.
“Besides depression, other mental health disorders associated with cardiovascular disease include anxiety and PTSD. People with depression experience increased blood pressure and physiological stress, which are risk factors for heart disease. In addition, lifestyle changes such as smoking and physical inactivity may further increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” he said. MNT.
Dr. David Merrill, a geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Pacific Brain Health Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in the study. , MD, said: Today’s medical news Stress-related brain activity can cause many problems in other parts of the body, many of which are thought to be related to depression.
He emphasized the bidirectional relationship between depression and heart disease.
“This relationship is bidirectional, with depression leading to increased rates of cardiovascular disease. Anxiety likewise leads to increased heart rate and blood pressure, along with elevated cortisol, all of which increase the risk of CVD. “Depression and anxiety both lead to unhealthy pro-inflammatory behaviors such as smoking and being sedentary. In contrast, exercise has anti-inflammatory properties and is protective for the heart,” says Merrill. Told.
Many depression treatments work by increasing neurotransmitters in the brain that affect behavior and mood. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Lexapro and Prozac, are commonly prescribed for depression, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), such as Cymbalta and Pristiq, are used to treat other anxiety-related disorders. can.
However, exercise may combat depression and stress-related brain activity in a variety of ways by naturally influencing brain chemistry, including regulating appetite hormones, reducing inflammation, reducing stress, and increasing metabolism. I can.
Chen said that while the effects of exercise can be seen chemically in the brain, the physical effects on the body are important in reducing the incidence of CVD.
“We believe that exercise improves people’s mood by changing brain chemistry and promoting growth factor proteins that form new connections in the brain, particularly the hippocampus. It can have other important benefits in body physiology and reduce changes caused by the development of heart disease.”
—Dr. Chen-Han Chen
“The stress-related decrease in brain activity in people with high levels of physical activity may be mediated by endorphins produced by more intense exercise,” Chen explained.
Dr. Merrill added, “We now know that exercise is good for the heart, at least in part, because of the effects it has on the brain.”
“Unlike serotonergic antidepressants, physical activity increases prefrontal cortex activity and improves mood. Increased prefrontal cortex activity reduces stress-related autonomic overactivation. “Exercise also increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor and improves mood through changes in brain plasticity,” Merrill said.
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