Persistent stress increases the risk of death in heart patients

Relax your mind if you have heart disease because a study has found that people who often experience moderate to severe mental stress, have a higher risk of death in heart patients. .

According to researchers, people with continuous mental stress include depression and anxiety, nearly four times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and nearly three times more likely to die from any cause. other.

The team analyzed the relationship between stress, occasional or prolonged depression and the risk of death among 950 people with coronary artery disease between the ages of 31 and 74.

All of these participants had suffered from ischemia and had a heart attack or were hospitalized because of severe pain in the chest for 3 to 36 months ago.

They filled out the approved general health questionnaire (by GHQ30 Institute) for six months, one, two and four years.

This has been classified according to the severity and duration of the depression at each assessment: never grieving; occasionally (with severity); suffering in mild form continuously three or more times; and suffering continues three or more times.

Participants' health and survival were then followed for an average of 12 years.

They found that 398 people died from all causes and 199 died from cardiovascular disease.

The results of the survey showed that 587 (62%) participants said they were not stressed at any assessment, while about one-fourth (27%) said they had experienced the series. stress, long-term mental anxiety.

The findings suggest that in patients with stable coronary artery disease, the risk of long-term death is related to the burden of psychological stress accumulation.

Dr. Gjin Ndrepepa of the Technical University, Munich, Germany describes the study as an " important and delicate study that helps explore the complex relationship between psychological stress and cardiovascular disease ".

He explains: " The mental stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and enhances the level of stress hormone, if prolonged, can produce potentially harmful physiological changes, some of which could lead to death "

This research has just been published in Heart magazine.