1 of 5 | According to cardiologist Dr Sandeer Al-Kindi, people with mental health conditions can reduce their risk of physical illnesses by eating a healthy diet and exercising. Photo courtesy of University Hospitals
NEW YORK, Aug. 31 (UPI) — Research linking mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety to physical illnesses, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease, has raised an important question: Can people think they are sick?
The answer is that it’s complicated, experts told UPI.
Given the number of people affected by these disorders, the medical research community is increasingly interested in how they can affect a person’s physical health, said cardiologist Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi, who has studied the subjecttold UPI in an email.
For example, “there is growing evidence that anxiety and depression are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes,” said Al-Kindi, who practices at the center Cleveland Medical University in Houston.
“These associations appear independent of established risk factors, such as diabetes and smoking,” he said.
People suffering from depression and anxiety need to know their risk of developing certain physical illnesses and what they can do about them, experts said.
Anxiety symptoms
In the United States, up to 40% of adults have experienced “recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder,” according to the study. Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention.
This figure increased at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, but unrest was common even before the public health emergency, the agency says.
In the United States, approximately 5% of adults have received a formal diagnosis of depression. agency data suggests.
A Analysis 2017 found that people with major depressive disorder, the clinical name for depression, have a 72% higher risk of heart disease than those without it.
A separate study published in 2010 found that people with depression had only a 4% higher risk of heart disease, but the risk was more than twice as high among people with anxiety.
Likewise, a study of more than 72,000 people published in July by Diabetic medicine found that people with depressive symptoms were more than eight times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with prediabetes alone.
People with symptoms of anxiety were more than six times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who had prediabetes alone, a condition that the CDC defines as higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not yet high enough to be type 2 diabetes,” the researchers added.
Also, a review published in May by the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology noted links between depression, anxiety and psoriatic disorders.
Examples of these autoimmune diseases include psoriasis, a skin disease that causes an itchy rash and scaly patches, and psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain and swelling in the joints, according to the Mayo Clinic.
However, the data on any association between mental health disorders and cancer is mixed.
A 2020 study suggest that depression and anxiety increase the risk of a cancer diagnosis by 13%, but an analysis published August 7 by the journal Cancer found no link between depression or anxiety and breast cancers, prostate, colorectal and alcohol-related, some of the most common forms of the disease.
“We know that people with physical health conditions have higher rates of anxiety and depression,” psychiatrist Dr. Jesse Fann, director of psychosocial oncology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, said in a letter. electronic to UPI.
“However, there is also evidence that the association is bidirectional, that is, anxiety and depression may also increase the risk of physical health problems,” he said.
What people experience
Bonnie Von Dohre of Brooksville, Fla., a 43-year military veteran and content creator at notsomodern.com, has witnessed this “two-way” relationship firsthand.
Having suffered from depression and anxiety for years, she developed and was diagnosed with psoriasis in 2018 “after a period of extreme stress,” Von Dohre told UPI in an email.
Although new treatments called biologics, designed to compensate for the immune system dysfunction that causes psoriasis, have helped, she said she is still “far from being… whole.”
“Unfortunately, the physical symptoms of psoriasis have sometimes had an even greater negative impact on my mental health, as treatments have so far failed to eliminate my symptoms,” she explained.
Similarly, Amiyah Watts, a 30-year-old from San Francisco, was diagnosed with depression in her early 20s and heart disease “a few years later.”
“During my struggle with depression, I noticed how the emotional toll it took on me seemed to impact my overall lifestyle and I found it difficult to maintain a healthy diet, healthy routine. “regular exercise and proper sleep habits,” she told UPI in an email.
“Constant stress and anxiety seem to contribute to this downward spiral and, while I cannot say with certainty that my mental health issues directly caused my heart disease, I believe they played a role,” she said. she declared.
“It’s not necessarily true that a person’s psychological state can cause (physical illness),” cancer prevention specialist Dr. Patricia A. Ganz, one of experts who described this complex relationship.
However, “depressed people, for example, often neglect their health – they don’t get regular cancer screenings, they smoke or drink excessively,” said Ganz, director of cancer prevention and control research. at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer. Center.
But “there are a number of behavioral risk factors that could lead to increased risk” of certain physical illnesses, she added.
What to do
Watts’ story is common among people suffering from depression and anxiety — two disorders that often occur together, according to Fann de Ganz and Fred Hutchinson.
For people who experience symptoms of these disorders, such as avoiding activities, isolating themselves, having frequent negative thoughts and recurring feelings of sadness, it is important to be diagnosed and treated, added the center’s Al-Kindi Medical Center at Cleveland University Hospital in Houston.
This involves taking medications for depression and anxiety as prescribed and promptly reporting any side effects, as well as following non-drug treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, he said.
“Untreated symptoms can be worse for physical health,” Al-Kindi added.
“Most medications for anxiety and depression are very safe and well tolerated when prescribed and monitored by an experienced clinician,” Fann said.
As with everyone, it’s important to take steps to ensure overall health – including regular exercise, a healthy diet, reducing stress and getting enough sleep – according to Al-Kindi.
However, as many people with depression and anxiety experience a lack of “activation energy” or motivation to engage in certain activities, support from friends and family may be necessary, a Ganz said.
Watts said she found support from others struggling with depression and heart disease, adding that the “shared stories” motivated her to make necessary changes and take an active role in her health.
Support networks should also encourage people with depression and anxiety to keep up with routine cancer screenings and other medical appointments, according to Ganz.
“Approximately 50 to 60% of breast and prostate cancers, the two most common cancers in women and men, are linked to exposures, including diet and lifestyle,” he said. she declared.
“People who are depressed may be less physically active, and they may also smoke and drink excessively,” she added.
A study published in May by the Journal of Gerontology found that older adults who felt they had adequate support from family, friends, and neighbors had better overall health and were more likely to take steps to maintain it.
People with depression and anxiety should also be sure to work with their care team to control their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels to reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes, Al said. -Kindi.
“It’s also important to discuss any underlying personal or family history of health problems with your doctor so they can provide you with the most effective and safe treatment,” Fann said.
“Close coordination between your various health care providers is especially important if you have multiple health conditions managed by different medical specialists,” he said.
