You probably already know that protecting your heart health requires eating well, exercising, and controlling well-known risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure. But did you know that your brain plays an important role in heart health as well?
In recent years, researchers have increasingly found links between poor mental health and higher heart disease risk. This may not be surprising, since mental health disorders can affect your behavior. For example, you might be less likely to get regular exercise or more likely to drink too much alcohol if you’re feeling depressed. In addition, some issues that affect our mental health, and certain mental health disorders, may also trigger physical changes in the body that can elevate heart risk in several ways.
If you’re struggling with any of the issues like stress, Traumatic childhood experiences, Depression, Hostility and anger, Social isolation, etc., there are things you can do to improve your mental health, and potentially your heart health as well like Talking it out to a professional, making lifestyle changes towards improvement, keeping your brain active, and by curbing the stress.
Source by : Kelly Bilodeau, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health
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