Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more lives annually than cancer and accidents combined, with more than 130 million adults living with some form of cardiovascular disease. Yet an equally urgent, and often overlooked, dimension of this crisis is the bidirectional relationship between behavioral health and heart health. Research from the American Heart Association (AHA) shows that depression, anxiety and chronic stress can raise the risk of a major cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, by roughly 35 percent, with nearly 40 percent of that added risk driven by the accelerated onset of new cardiovascular risk factors.
The mental health, heart health connection
Research from the NIH shows that comorbidity runs in both directions. Heart-related and mental health disorders frequently co-occur: as many as one in three heart attack survivors experience depression, and up to half report anxiety or post-traumatic stress in the year following a cardiac event, compared with 8.4 percent of U.S. adults overall. Emerging AHA data further shows that people are 83 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition in the first year after a cardiovascular hospitalization, while CDC research confirms that unmanaged stress and depression unmanaged stress and depression elevate blood pressure, cardiac reactivity and long-term metabolic risk.
An estimated 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is preventable when people have access to trusted clinicians, routine screening and sustained support. Treating the heart without addressing mental well-being, and treating mental health without accounting for the heart, leaves patients only partially cared for.
“We cannot separate heart health from mental health,” said Dr. Taft Parsons III, Chief Psychiatric Officer at CVS Health. “A patient managing depression or chronic stress after a cardiac event isn’t facing two unrelated conditions –that individual has both conditions and is facing one interconnected health journey, and care models should reflect that reality.”
Delivering whole-person care for heart health
A heart health care model that spans behavioral health specialists, primary care providers, pharmacy touchpoints and care management programs, helps ensure care is connected. By identifying psychiatric risk early in patients managing cardiovascular conditions, and vice versa, we’re progressing a coordinated, whole-person, comprehensive prevention ecosystem for patients and members.
“When we address stress, sleep, and emotional health early, we can meaningfully reduce long-term heart risk,” Dr. Parsons III said. “Whether it’s through screenings in the home, during an acute or primary care visit, or through ongoing therapy and support, connecting mental health back to cardiovascular care is essential to improving overall outcomes and lowering costs.”
