Pandemic increasing risk of anxiety, heart disease: study

TORONTO – A significant number of patients are reporting symptoms of depression that have worsened throughout the pandemic, putting them at higher risk for heart disease, according to a new study.

Conducted by researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, the study looked at 4,633 patients who had depression screenings before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost 40% of patients said they experienced new or persistent symptoms of depression throughout the first year of the pandemic.

“These findings are important,” said Heidi T. May, cardiovascular epidemiologist at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute and principal investigator of the study, in a press release. “Looking at the first year of the pandemic, we are already seeing the effects on the mental health of our patients. “

The patients were separated into two groups: those without depression or who were no longer depressed, and those who became or remained depressed. The researchers found that among depressed patients, depression screening scores were higher during the pandemic than they were before. Pre-pandemic scores were recorded between March 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020, while screenings performed during the pandemic took place from March 1, 2020 to April 20, 2021.

The results of the study were shared with the American Heart Association’s virtual science session Saturday.

Not only does this study highlight the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, but also on physical well-being.

Researchers found that depression was linked to an increase in emergency room visits for anxiety treatment. Patients with depression were 2.8 times more likely to go to the emergency room for anxiety compared to patients without depression. The odds of going to the emergency room for anxiety while still experiencing chest pain were 1.8 times higher in patients with depression than in patients without depression.

Scientific evidence shows a strong link between depression and heart disease. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients with depression, anxiety, and stress over long periods of time are likely to experience increased heart rate and blood pressure, decreased blood flow to the heart, and higher levels of cortisol. Ultimately, these physiological effects can lead to a build-up of calcium in the arteries and lead to heart disease.

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that people who had four or more depressive symptoms were 20% more likely to have cardiovascular disease or die. The global study involved more than 140,000 middle-aged participants in 21 countries. Heart disease is considered a major cause of death among men and women in Canada.

“We know that [depression] is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease; and if people get more depressed because of the pandemic, in a few years we might see a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, ”May said in the press release.

Not only does she flag this as a concern, but she says it indicates the urgency to screen patients early on and provide them with the tools they need.

“Clinicians need to be fully aware of the mental health of their patients so that it can be treated and treated immediately to improve the overall quality of their life and hopefully prevent the development of subsequent health problems in the future. “May said in the press release. . “It’s vital because the pandemic is still not over. “

She also says it takes more time to determine the potential long-term effects of the pandemic on mental health.