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Young women who suffer from anxiety and depression may be at higher risk of developing heart disease, a study has found.

The findings show that having any of these mental health conditions can accelerate the progression of cardiovascular risk factors in young or middle-aged women, with higher rates of hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes over a 10-year period compared to women. It shows that people are almost twice as likely to develop . without anxiety or depression.

This level of heart disease risk puts them roughly on par with men of the same age.

“This is a significant finding,” said lead author Giovanni Sivieri, a cardiologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Protective effects of estrogen in this group.

“However, this study suggests that if young women suffer from depression or anxiety, they should begin screening for cardiovascular risk factors to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

“Once a young woman develops depression or anxiety, her absolute risk is the same as that of a young man. There is a kind of catch-up phenomenon where depression and anxiety increase an otherwise very low risk. I am.”

Cardiovascular risk factors and heart attack rates are on the rise among younger people, and anxiety and depression have also become more common in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research team looked at data from more than 71,200 people from the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank.

Over a 10-year follow-up, researchers found that people with a history of anxiety or depression were about 55% more likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

This association was strongest among women under age 50 with anxiety and depression.

To further investigate this link, the researchers analyzed brain scans and found a significant increase in stress-related neural activity in young women with anxiety and depression.

Mr Sivieri further stated: “The question is why anxiety and depression are associated with increased risk in young women. This is something we continue to study.”

The results of this latest study will be presented at the upcoming American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions.



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