Study finds close link between mental health and heart disease in women.

2004 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Attaining and sustaining good mental health is just as vital as other factors, such as exercise and diet, in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, especially for women over the age of 45, according to a study from Emory University.

Using national survey data, sociologist Corey Keyes examined the prevalence of mental health issues among people with cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. In investigating linkages between the two, Keyes used a measure of mental health as a "complete state" that looked beyond episodes of mental illness to also incorporate the subjective well-being of people, and how well they are functioning and flourishing in life.

The study, reported in the May 2004 edition of Aging and Mental Health, found that cardiovascular disease was lowest in adults who were the most mentally healthy, and higher among adults with major depressive episodes, minor depression, and moderate mental health.

The relationship between cardiovascular disease and mental health was the same for age and sex, except for females between the ages of 45 and 74, where mental health issues under Keyes' "complete state" measure were much more prevalent.

Previous research has found major depression and stress to be contributing factors for, and a consequence of, cardiovascular disease, Keyes says. Although good mental health traditionally has meant the absence of mental illnesses ...