Depression and Anxiety Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease, Research Shows

By Adebowale Bello. B.Tech Microbiology, Freelance Health Writer. Medically reviewed by the DLHA team.

January 27, 2025.

A distressed looking African man sits on the edge of his bed with his right hand pressed on his left chest. due to feelings of pain  Image Credit: OpenAI

Heart disease is often blamed on things like fatty food, lack of exercise, smoking and high blood pressure. While these factors are important, they are not the full story. Many people live with emotional stress, depression and anxiety, yet few realise that these feelings can quietly affect their physical health, especially their heart.

Depression and anxiety are not just states of mind. They are medical conditions that can change how your brain works, how the body responds to stress and how your immune system behaves. Over time, these changes can place strain on the heart and blood vessels.

A major scientific study has now shown that people living with depression or anxiety face a higher risk of serious heart problems, not simply because of their lifestyle but because of what chronic emotional stress does inside the body.

About the Study

Researchers analysed health information from over 85,000 adults who were part of a large health database in the United States. These people had records of their emotional health, heart health and a number of other health markers and the study followed them for more than three years on average.

The scientists wanted to understand how depression and anxiety affect the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. They also looked at biological explanations for this link. 

They specifically examined:

• Brain stress signals, especially in a part called the amygdala that is involved in how we respond to emotional threats.
• Autonomic function, which is how well the nervous system controls heart rate and other essential body functions.
• Inflammation, which is the body’s response to stress, infection or injury and how it influences disease processes.

In simpler terms, the researchers wanted to know whether the brain’s reaction to stress, the way the nervous system communicates with the body and inflammation could help explain why depression and anxiety are linked to heart disease.

What the Study Found

The study showed several important results:

1. Depression and Anxiety Increase Heart Disease Risk

People who had depression were more likely to experience major heart problems during the follow-up period. Those who had anxiety also showed higher risk. The risk was highest in people who had both depression and anxiety together.

In numbers terms, people with both conditions had about one-third (35%) higher risk of having a major heart event compared with those who had neither condition.

2. Stress Signals in the Brain Matter

The researchers measured a brain activity pattern linked with stress. People with depression or anxiety had higher levels of stress-related brain activity. This means their brains stayed in a more alert, stressed state even when there was no immediate danger.

3. Heart Rate Control Was Lower

Heart rate variability is a measure of how well your nervous system can control heart rate. People with depression or anxiety had lower heart rate variability, suggesting poor autonomic control. This kind of poor control is known to increase heart disease risk.

4. Inflammation Was Higher

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammation marker in the body. Participants with depression and anxiety had higher CRP levels, showing that inflammation may be part of the reason why these emotional health conditions are linked to heart disease.

5. These Pathways Help Explain the Risk

The study’s analysis suggests that the life-long patterns of stress-related brain activity, poor autonomic control and inflammation partly explain why depression and anxiety increase heart disease risk. This means these pathways act as a bridge between emotional distress and heart problems.

Why This Matters for Africans

This research is important because it highlights the fact that many people do not know that mental health affects physical health. In many African societies, emotional distress such as depression and anxiety are often ignored, misunderstood or dismissed yet this study shows they may have very real consequences for the heart.

1. Growing Stress and Heart Disease in Africa

African countries are experiencing a rise in lifestyle changes, urbanisation and work-related stress. Combined with limited access to mental health services, this can mean more people live with untreated anxiety and depression. If these conditions raise heart risk, then millions of Africans could be at higher risk than they realise.

2. Addressing Mental Health May Lower Heart Disease Risk

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death globally and is increasing in Africa. Research like this suggests that targeting emotional health could become a new strategy for heart disease prevention.

3. Cultural Beliefs May Affect Care

Social stigma around mental health often prevents people from speaking about stress or anxiety. This study supports the view that community health education should include encouraging early health seeking behaviour for mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as this may help reduce heart disease risk over time.

Limitations of the Study

• It was observational, which means it can show associations but not prove cause and effect. We cannot say depression or anxiety definitely cause heart disease, only that they are linked.

• The data came mostly from people in the United States. The experiences of Africans could be different due to cultural, genetic and lifestyle factors.

• Some measurements, like heart imaging, were done only in small groups within the larger study.

Despite these limitations, the size of the study and the multiple ways of measuring stress and heart risk make the findings strong and meaningful.

Wrap Up

This research adds to growing evidence that mental health and heart health are deeply connected. Depression and anxiety are not just emotional states. They are linked to biological changes in the brain and immune system that can ultimately increase the risk of heart disease.

For Africans facing rising stress and heart disease, this study should serve as reminder that caring for emotional wellbeing is an important part of heart health promotion. Health education, better access to emotional support and reducing stigma around mental health could help protect hearts as well as minds.

Source: Abohashem, S, Qamar, I, Grewal, S, Civieri, G, Islam, S, Aldosoky, W, Bollepalli, S, Rosovsky, R.P, Seligowski, A. V, Shin, L. M, Armoundas, A. A, Osborne, M. T, & Tawakol, A. Depression and anxiety associate with adverse cardiovascular events via neural, autonomic, and inflammatory pathways. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 2025; e017706. Available from here

Related: Simple Health Tools for Africans to Check Heart Disease Risk

Published: January 27, 2026

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