Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression may increase the chance of adopting behaviors such as smoking, inactive lifestyle, or failure to take prescribed medications. The use of some antipsychotic medications has been associated with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and death. Some literature notes the impact of medicines used to treat mental health disorders on cardiometabolic disease risk. 5,12-20 These disorders can be brought on after an acute heart disease event from factors including pain, fear of death or disability, and financial problems associated with the event. 1,6-11Įvidence shows that mental health disorders-such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD-can develop after cardiac events, including heart failure, stroke, and heart attack. Over time, these physiologic effects can lead to calcium buildup in the arteries, metabolic disease, and heart disease.

People experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, and even PTSD over a long period of time may experience certain physiologic effects on the body, such as increased cardiac reactivity (e.g., increased heart rate and blood pressure), reduced blood flow to the heart, and heightened levels of cortisol. These effects can arise both directly, through biological pathways, and indirectly, through risky health behaviors. What is the connection between mental health disorders and heart disease?Ī large and growing body of research shows that mental health is associated with risk factors for heart disease before a diagnosis of a mental health disorder and during treatment. *There may be other behavioral health disorders, such as substance use disorders, that are connected to heart disease.

Flat affect depression