We know that being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease increases the risk of developing depression. As a reminder, this is a “a state in which a person feels overwhelming and debilitating grief. People with depression may have difficulty thinking clearly, and be unable to carry out normal activities. explains Health Insurance. But in the context of life as a couple, can a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease impact the mental health of the spouse?
Researchers at Kyoto University, Japan, studied the question. According to them, the appearance of cardiovascular disease in one spouse increases the risk of depression in the other. Their results are published in the magazine Jama Network Open.
Having a spouse with cardiovascular disease increases the risk of depression
To arrive at these results, the researchers based themselves on a large panel of 277,142 married couples living in Japan. All were enrolled in the Japan Health Insurance Association, a health insurance program. The researchers separated the participants into two groups, based on the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in one of the spouses. The data was collected between April 2016 and March 2022.
Over the period analyzed, researchers found that among 277,142 married couples, 95% reported a cardiovascular event in the partner. According to the researchers, this affected the mental health of the spouse, increasing the risk of depression by 14%.
“Using a national cohort in Japan over a median follow-up period of 30 months, we found an association between the onset of cardiovascular disease in spouses and increased risk of depression in index individuals,” summarize the researchers in their conclusion. The latter specify that they took into account certain factors such as body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and even glucose level.
Stress, sleep disorders: these consequences for people whose partner suffers from cardiovascular disease
According to the researchers, who however recognize certain limits to their study, this impact on mental health could be explained by the change in lifestyle linked to the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, for the spouse, this diagnosis could lead to a reduction in physical activity, social life, sleep problems or even higher health expenses, all of which could lead to anxiety or chronic stress.
Also, researchers believe that “These findings highlight the importance of preventative care for mental health disorders among people whose spouses suffer from incident cardiovascular disease.”
Sources:
- Depression Onset After a Spouse’s Cardiovascular Event – Jama Network.
- Spousal Cardiovascular Events and Onset of Depression—A New Perspective From the Family Level – edotorial.
- Understanding depression – Health Insurance