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Mental Disorders as Risk Factors for New Onset Cardiovascular Diseases
Agata Anna Sakowicz-Hriscu1, Oliwia Grunwald2, Paweł Muszyński3
1Revit sp.z.o.o. Podlaskie Centrum Psychogeriatrii, Swobodna 38/8, 15-756 Bialystok, Poland.
Biomedicines
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Mental disorders significantly increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk through sympathetic nervous system activation and inflammation. Proactive screening and treatment are crucial for managing this elevated risk in patients with mental health conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology and Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause one-third of global deaths, with heart attack and stroke being primary causes.
- Established CVD risk factors include smoking, diabetes, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles, but psychiatric disorders are often overlooked.
- Over a billion people have mental disorders, leading to significant disability and elevated all-cause mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review psychiatric disorders and their pharmacotherapy in relation to cardiac illness risk.
- To integrate findings with the 2025 ESC Clinical Consensus Statement on mental health and CVD.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of existing literature.
- Analysis of the 2025 ESC Clinical Consensus Statement on mental health and cardiovascular disease.
Main Results:
- Primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular complications in psychiatric patients is essential.
- Mental disorders contribute to CVD risk via sympathetic nervous system activation, chronic inflammation, and metabolic syndrome.
- Individuals with mental disorders face increased residual cardiovascular risk and poorer long-term prognosis.
Conclusions:
- Mental disorders are linked to increased CVD risk, necessitating integrated healthcare approaches.
- Lifestyle behaviors in psychiatric populations require proactive screening and risk factor mitigation.
- Pharmacotherapy plays a role in managing CVD risk in patients with mental health conditions.
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