In a study from the University of South Australia, scientists found another reason why people should be paying more attention to mental health:
It is closely aligned to blood pressure and heart rate variations.
They found a link between mental illness and widely fluctuating blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and organ damage.
There is clear evidence that mental illness interferes with the body’s autonomic functions, including blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and breathing.
In the study, the team reviewed 12 papers on people with anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.
They found that, regardless of age, mental illness is strongly linked to greater blood pressure variations during the day.
They also found that for people who are mentally ill, their heart rate does not adapt to external stressors as it should.
Reduced heart rate variation (HRV) is common in people with mental illness and indicates that the body’s stress response is poor, exacerbating the negative effects of chronic stress.
Unlike a person’s heart rate—how many times a heart beats in a minute—which is usually consistent, HRV is more complex and is the time between two heartbeats, which should change according to external stressors.
Low HRV occurs when a person’s body is in fight-or-flight mode, is easily stressed, and is common in people with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular and mental health problems.
While large blood pressure variations (BPV) during the day are not ideal, at night the systolic pressure should dip by between 10-20 percent to allow the heart to rest.
The researchers found that in people with mental health issues, their blood pressure does not drop sufficiently at night.
The reduced dipping—under 10 percent—can be caused by many factors, including autonomic dysfunction, poor quality of sleep, and disrupted circadian rhythms that regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
The team says since mental illness can contribute to the deterioration of heart and blood pressure regulation, early therapeutic intervention is essential.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about commonly used mental drugs that may harm cognitive functions, and 6 daily habits to reduce stress & anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies that people who smoke at night may need mental health support, and results showing scientists find a core feature of depression.
The was conducted by Dr. Renly Lim et al and published in BioMedical Engineering OnLine.
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