Experts on Pinterest recommend reducing stress to help people with mental health issues. A new study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people under the age of 40 with mental illness have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes because they adopt unhealthy lifestyle choices such as poor diet and lack of exercise. While depression, anxiety, and insomnia were common problems among young adults, researchers found lifestyle behaviours did not explain the increased risk, indicating that regular health check-ups and medications may be necessary to prevent myocardial infarction and stroke.
The study highlighted the need for integrated healthcare that addresses both mental and physical health problems and called for increased collaboration between mental health providers and primary care physicians. Stress from mental health disorders can physically increase the risk of heart disease by causing dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system and physiological changes that affect the blood vessels. Managing stress can reduce risk and may require learning stress-reduction strategies such as mindfulness meditation, exercise, and counseling.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, is essential. Regular checkups with a health professional can screen for physical and mental health problems and detect and address health problems early. Poor mental health can influence cardiovascular disease by making people more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours, including smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and it’s about practicing healthy lifestyle practices.