Anxiety in adolescence puts the heart at risk as adults

(ANSA) - ROME, AUGUST 27 - Adolescence is not an easy period and is often accompanied by moments of anxiety or depression. However, if this becomes a stable condition it can turn into a greater risk of heart attack once adults. A warning is research published today at the ESC 2020 Congress of the European Society of Cardiology.
    The study included 238,013 men born between 1952 and 1956 who underwent extensive testing at age 18-19 as part of the assessment for compulsory military service and were then followed up to age 58 through medical records. hospital. A total of 34,503 men were diagnosed with depression or anxiety during their late teens, and the study found that this mental disorder was associated with a 20% higher risk of having myocardial infarction by midlife.
    The association between mental illness and heart attack is partly explained by less resilience to stress and less physical activity in adolescents with anxiety and depression. "It is likely - observes Cecilia Bergh of the University of Örebro in Sweden - that better physical fitness in adolescence helps protect against subsequent heart disease, particularly if people stay fit with age. In addition, physical activity can alleviate some of the negative consequences of stress. " This means, he concludes, "that adolescents with poorer mental well-being could benefit from greater encouragement to exercise." (HANDLE).