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Your mental and physical health is more intertwined than you think — studies show that your gut health can affect your anxiety, and a healthy diet and exercise will help you. Showed that it can help manage depression. More research is now finding that the relationship between mental and physical health is bidirectional.
More worried men are at increased biological risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, according to new studies.40 years of research published in Journal of the American Heart Association We used data from the Normative Aging Study, a study on male aging established at the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic on Monday. More than 1,500 people (mainly whites), including both veterans and non-veterans, participated in this study. At the beginning of the study, participants were not suffering from heart disease or cancer, and researchers used personality assessment surveys and anxiety assessment tools to measure neuroticism and anxiety.
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“Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by a tendency to interpret the situation as threatening, stressful, and / or overwhelming,” Dr. Lewina Lee, lead author of the study, said in a media release. .. “People with a high level of neuroticism tend to experience more intense and more frequent negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, and anger.”
Participants also had physical and blood tests every 3-5 years. This includes checking for seven factors that may increase the risk of cardiometabolic disease: elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, obesity, and elevated fasting blood glucose. It is included. High erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), a marker of inflammation. Participants were divided into two categories, using national guidelines on factors at the time. Those who are at high risk for 6 or more of the 7 factors and those who are not. Researchers used data from 1975 to 2015.
Researchers found that participants averaged risk factors every 10 years from their 30s to 60s, and by the age of 65 they had an average of 3.8 risk factors. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, the higher the neuroticism, the 13% more likely to have risk factors for 6 or more cardiometabolic disorders, and the higher the level of concern, the 10% more likely. Become.
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Researchers did not have data on how many of the participants sought treatment for anxiety disorders, but other research teams found that men were less likely to seek mental health treatment than women. Did.
“I don’t know if treating anxiety and worries reduces the risk of cardiometabolic metabolism, but people with anxiety and worries need to pay more attention to their cardiometabolic health,” Lee said. “For example, by conducting regular health examinations and actively controlling the risk level of cardiovascular disease (such as taking medication for hypertension and maintaining a healthy weight), cardiometabolic metabolism. It may be possible to reduce the chance of developing the disease. “”
Conclusion
Men who are prone to worry, or who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, should pay particular attention to health factors in cardiovascular metabolism such as blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar levels. This study raises the likelihood that mental health treatments for anxiety may be beneficial to heart health, but further research is needed to establish any relevance. In the meantime, there are some simple steps you can take to help relieve anxiety, such as eating anti-inflammatory foods, reducing your caffeine intake, and getting enough sleep.
