Cardiovascular risk factors and psychiatric illness

Abstract

Psychiatric illness and cardiovascular disease occur together more frequently than expected then by chance alone. Several of the established risk factors for coronary artery disease account for this increased risk of comorbidity. Psychiatric illness appears to increase the risk for hypertension. Smoking rates are higher in patients with psychiatric illness than for populations without psychiatric illness. Elevated serum cholesterol levels often occur in panic and other anxiety disorders. In contrast, there is accumulating evidence that low cholesterol levels are linked to violent death, including suicide. Myocardial infarction represents a major life stressor that can precipitate an episode of major depression. Prolonged depression following myocardial infarction can become an independent risk factor for cardiac mortality. These associations increase the need for psychiatrists to be aware of the risk factors for coronary heart disease and to assist with the assessment and management of these risk factors in patients with mental illness.