In comparison to men, young and middle-aged women who experience stress or depression have a markedly higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease. This was discovered in a recent study published in the American College of Cardiology.

Why women’s mental health and cardiovascular disease are directly correlated remains a mystery to researchers.

Still, it is clear that women with a variety of symptoms, including heart palpitations, dyspepsia, sadness, and chronic anxiety, are frequently diagnosed with heart failure or cardiovascular disease.

Anxiety and Depression Increase Cardiac Risk

These problems are not limited to middle-aged and younger women; they also affect elderly women.

After tracking over 70,000 individuals for ten years, researchers discovered that those who had previously experienced anxiety or depression had a roughly 55% increased risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Furthermore, these cardiovascular risk factors were almost twice as likely to develop in women under 50 who had mental health problems.

For Women, Holding in your Emotions Can be Fatal

Research indicates that suppressing your emotions is one of the worst things you can do, particularly if you’re a woman.

In a ten-year study involving over 3,600 men and women from a Massachusetts town, those who “kept their feelings bottled up” or “self-silenced” during marital problems were four times more likely to pass away than those who simply spoke “how they felt.” Notably, guys were not affected by this impact.

It didn’t matter if a woman was happy in her marriage as long as she communicated her emotions.

In addition, a disorder called “broken heart syndrome” is more common in women. Broken heart syndrome is a cardiac ailment that is frequently triggered by stressful circumstances and strong emotions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Researchers Recommend Using Preventative Medicine

Women should learn to listen to their bodies and avoid ignoring warning signs in order to sustain heart health. Other heart-healthy practices include going to therapy, joining support groups, doing yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises.

Researchers advise doctors to begin screening female patients with anxiety and depression for heart disease risk factors as a prophylactic measure.