Press Room: News Service: Poor Mental Health Puts Women at Risk for Heart Disease

Poor Mental Health Puts Women at Risk for Heart Disease

Jennifer Wider, M.D.
Society for Women’s Health Research
May 26, 2004

You’ve heard it all before, maintaining a good diet and exercise will help ward off heart disease. But were you aware that your state of mind might affect your risk too? A new study from Emory University in Atlanta found that good mental health is just as important as other factors in the prevention of heart disease, particularly for women over the age of 45.

More than 3,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 74 participated in the study. The researchers discovered that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was lowest in adults with good mental health and higher among adults with major or minor depression or other mental health issues. The association between mental health status and heart disease risk was the most pronounced among women aged 45 to 74.

This study differed from other studies, which typically define good mental health as the absence of illness like depression or anxiety. In this study, researchers expanded the definition and looked at mental health as an entire state of mind. They examined how people perceived their own well-being and how well they functioned in their day-to-day lives.

The results of this study raise specific concerns for women. Mental health issues are more prevalent in the female population. Depressive disorders affect roughly 10 percent of the country’s population with women suffering from these illnesses two to three times more often than men. Anxiety and panic disorder are also much more common in women.

“Women are more vulnerable to social stressors in life,” explains Corey Keyes, Ph.D., an associate professor of sociology at Emory and lead researcher of the study.

There seem to be several reasons for this gender discrepancy. “Research shows that women perceive much more stress than men when it comes to relationships,” Keyes said. “Certain studies show that a brain chemical called oxytocin gets triggered at puberty in girls which sets off the need and interest for maintaining social ties. When a breakup occurs, women perceive more stress than their male counterparts.”

Women are more likely to assume roles that leave them feeling trapped, increasing the risk for stress and depression. “Sociologists have shown that women are expected to be in charge of parenting and care giving and less likely to be rewarded for these roles,” Keyes said. “Because a man is not expected to assume these roles, he will be rewarded if he does it.”

Women in the workforce also “have a double shift and run a family and career,” Keyes added. “This contributes to an increased level of stress.”

With a link established between mental health and heart disease risk, women should pay close attention. Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women in the United States. According to this and many other studies, women are at higher risk for mental health issues, which add to an already high risk of heart disease.

There are many factors that contribute to a person’s risk for heart disease. Getting older is a risk factor for both men and women. For women, menopause is an added complication. “There is mounting evidence that the decreased production of estrogen is associated with things that lead to heart disease such as the reactivity of blood platelets,” Keyes said.

This study suggests that poor mental health may be the tipping factor for women.

“Mental health adds another complicating factor and may tip older women over the edge,” Keyes added. “We need to stop looking at mental health as the presence or absence of mental illness. Anything less than flourishing – good mental health – puts you at elevated risk for heart disease, especially if you’re a woman.”