People who experience any mental illness in their second or third decade of life are at increased risk of life-threatening diseases such as heart attack or stroke. This warning comes from a new medical study.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed insurance data from more than 6.5 million people aged 20 to 39 in South Korea.
These individuals had no history of heart attack or stroke, and 13 percent had been diagnosed with a mental illness at the start of the study.
According to research, people who experience depression, anxiety or other mental disorders have a significantly increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke over the next 8 years.
The researchers said that the risk of heart attack increases by 58% and stroke by 42% in people with mental illness.
Research has found that the type of mental illness and the risk of heart attack or stroke may vary.
For example, schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or a personality disorder increase the risk of heart attack.
Similarly, anxiety and depression are mental problems that significantly increase the risk of both heart attack and stroke.
The researchers said that the results show that young people with any mental disorder should be cautious about diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
He said that it has to be examined how much the prevention of mental problems benefits the health of the heart arteries.
