Being diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening condition like heart disease is enough to put anyone in a bad mood. But it turns out the mind-body connection flows the other way, too: Negative states of mind — experiencing depression, anxiety, loneliness, anger, hostility or chronic stress — may increase the risk for heart disease over time.
A study in the May 2017 issue of Psychiatry Research found that people who suffer from depression and have low social support have an increased risk of developing heart disease over a 13-year period. Meanwhile, a study in a 2016 issue of the journal Heart suggests that loneliness increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease and stroke by 29 and 32 percent, respectively, over time. And if people have “already had a heart attack, these [negative mood] states put them at increased risk for having another one,” notes Donald Edmondson, director of the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
While research is only beginning to untangle the complex connection between what’s going on between our hearts and minds, there appears to be multiple mechanisms through which negative emotions can harm the heart. Simply put, “they are likely to involve a combination of biological changes, health behaviors and psychosocial factors,” says Dr. Beth Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California–San Francisco. “There may be a dose response where more severe exposures [to negative emotions] or [more intense] symptoms increase heart disease risk” the most.
[See: 10 Ways to Break a Bad Mood.]
In terms of health behaviors, people who are depressed, angry, anxious or chronically stressed out may not take good care of themselves: They may be more likely to smoke or drink too much alcohol and less likely to consume a healthy diet, exercise regularly, manage their weight, get enough sleep or take medications as directed. “Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder undermine health-protective measures people are asked to engage in,” Edmondson says. And if they’re in lousy frames of mind, people may be more likely to comfort themselves in unhealthy ways (with food or alcohol, for example) and more likely to isolate themselves socially or hang out with people who are also depressed or angry. “Misery loves miserable company, which can make stress worse,” says Kenneth Carter, a professor of psychology at the Oxford College of Emory University.
On the physiological front, negative emotions trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, which sets off a surge in stress hormones like cortisol and an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and inflammation, all of which can harm heart health. “Everybody has these emotions, but there are individuals whose constant negative emotions sort of recalibrate the way their system responds — it doesn’t calm down; it keeps going,” notes Edward Suarez, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. It’s as if their body’s stress response gets stuck in the “on” position, which strains the cardiovascular system.
[See: Am I Just Sad — or Actually Depressed?]
In addition, insulin levels are elevated during stress, so if you’re constantly stressed out, anxious or angry, you could become less sensitive to the actions of insulin, which can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, Suarez adds. And research has found that anger and hostility are associated with an increased risk of men developing heart rhythm disturbances such as atrial fibrillation.
One way or another, it’s important to find ways to ease your negative feelings — for the sake of your mind and your heart. Fortunately, many of the interventions that are beneficial for your mood can also help your heart. A good starting point: Consuming a healthy, nutritious diet with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids (present in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and anchovies, as well as walnuts and flaxseeds), which have anti-inflammatory effects. It’s also wise to make it a priority to get enough quality sleep, which improves physical and mental health, Suarez says.
Regular aerobic exercise has powerful antidepressant effects that kick in within a matter of weeks and is beneficial for heart health, too. What’s more, people with major depression who engage in regular aerobic exercise have lower relapse rates than those who rely exclusively on antidepressants to treat their symptoms, according to a study in a 2000 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. When you feel overwhelmed by negative emotions or worries, Carter recommends going for a “worry walk” — taking a brisk 15-minute walk and worrying your heart out as you stride. “Physical activity helps mitigate some of the physiological effects of stress from worrying,” Carter explains, and it can help you put things in perspective so you can swing into problem-solving mode more effectively.
[Read: 8 Quirky Things That Can Help You De-Stress.]
Since you can’t always eliminate stress from your life, it’s important to get in the habit of engaging in stress-relieving activities such as yoga, deep breathing exercises or meditation, says Dr. Richard C. Becker, chief of the division of cardiovascular health and disease at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. In particular, “mindfulness meditation can help you better deal with negative emotions because it allows you to see life as a movie,” Suarez says, which helps you become less emotionally reactive, in general. It’s also wise to spend time with upbeat people who provide you with valuable social support that’s good for your mood and heart.
The key is to personalize an approach that works for you, even if it requires some trial and error. But if negative emotions begin to color your world a dark blue or an angry crimson, talk to your doctor about whether you might benefit from psychotherapy, a stress or anger management program and/or antidepressants or other medications. As Cohen notes, “With my patients, I make the point that they wouldn’t hesitate to come talk to me if they had knee or back pain, and emotional pain shouldn’t be any different.”
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Protecting Your Heart From Negative Emotions originally appeared on usnews.com
