by Lauren Salani
It has been traditionally thought that young women, when compared to men of the same age, have a lower risk of heart disease. This is because women have estrogen and progesterone for protection of their arterial vessel linings. Clinicians have assumed young women were safe from risk. However, new research alerts clinicians not to overlook young women who suffer from certain mental health conditions that puts them at risk for heart disease at an earlier age.
A new study led by Giovanni Civieri, MD, Cardiologist, Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, analyzed the health records of 71,214 people participating in the Mass General Brigham Biobank over a 10-year period. Dr. Civieri reports that younger women with depression or anxiety were nearly twice as likely to develop hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes compared to women who did not have these mental health conditions. These results put these young women on par with men of the same age in terms of heart disease risk. He states, anxiety and depression in young women introduces a “catch-up phenomenon” to the higher risk factors seen in men.
To determine the relationship between mental health and heart conditions, his team of researchers then analyzed a subset of people in the Biobank who had also undergone brain scans. The brain scans showed that women with anxiety or depression had relatively large increases in stress-related neural activity in shared neuronal pathways. Although the research team did not comment on the effect of psychotherapy or antidepressant medications on heart health, they state that once a person has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, there are well-established treatments such as statins and blood-pressure lowering mediations that can effectively reduce the risk of serious cardiac events.
According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most common mental health conditions. They have a high tendency to occur with each other and their symptoms are frequently not separable. They are more prevalent in women, with a ratio of 2:1 in women compared with men during a women’s reproductive years. Symptoms include restlessness, insomnia, irritability, poor concentration, and worry. Sometimes these symptoms occur in highly functional people. They can experience the features of anxiety and depression on the inside, but appear cool as a cucumber on the outside. They are highly functioning and successful at running their lives.
In women, internal distress can be created due to people-pleasing, the fear of making others angry, obsessions about what people think about them, reaching lofty goals, or living up to high expectations. Not appearing vulnerable and keeping up appearances keeps them from seeking help. The high-functioning mindset begins in childhood from messages and expectations received from role models. The success of high-functioning is very rewarding as it brings along with it a powerful ”high” of accomplishment. Not realizing, people can become human-doings not human-beings. When being driven in this way for a long time, the body starts sending messages of distress with pain conditions, gastrointestinal symptoms, morning nausea from high cortisol, higher blood pressure readings, fatigue, etc.
Unchecked anxiety and depression can take its toll. Knowing your limits, setting boundaries, being more comfortable with the guilt of saying yes to yourself and no to others, planning enjoyable exercise and taking time for yourself are all ways to address hidden distress. If anxiety and depression reach a level that is unmanageable, please seek help from a physician or therapist to talk about supportive treatments. To get started, put self-care on the to-do list.
Lauren A. Salani, LCSW, BCB Stress Relief Services, Atlantic Executive Center 107 Monmouth Road, Suite 104 West Long Branch, 732.542.2638 Website: StressReliefServices.com LaurenASalani@gmial.com
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