Rapaport, Lisa. (June 12, 2019) Chronic depression after heart attack tied to increased risk of death. Business Insider. Available at https://www.businessinsider.com/chronic-depression-after-heart-attack-tied-to-increased-risk-of-death-2019-6 (Accessed June 18, 2019)
a and b. This article discusses the findings of a study that assessed the risk of premature death in patients who suffered from (a) chronic mood disorder(s) following a heart attack. Researchers evaluated the emotional distress of about 58,000 patients who had just suffered from a heart attack over a period of time. Patients were evaluated two months post heart attack, again one-year post heart attack, and then followed for at least four years post heart attack. 21% of patients reported psychological distress during both evaluation periods (after two months and a year post heart attack). The study showed that those who reported emotional distress during both evaluation periods were 46% more likely to die due to a cardiovascular cause and 54% more likely to die from other causes compared to those who did not show signs of emotional distress. 15% of patients experienced emotional distress after two months but reported no emotional distress after one year. The study found these people didn’t have a higher risk of mortality compared to those who reported no emotional distress during either evaluation periods. 11% of people reported no emotional distress after two months but did report emotional distress after a year. This group had a 46% greater risk of dying from causes other than cardiovascular.
c. For my age range, the likelihood of me suffering from a heart attack is slim. I have no previous history of cardiovascular issues and my doctor hasn’t voiced any concerns about my cardiovascular system. If I did suffer a heart attack I would be slightly alarmed because I do have anxiety. But I know that there are resources to control anxious thoughts. Consequently, suffering from a heart attack would not cause me to panic about mortality. The article states that there is some evidence supporting that treating depression and anxiety would improve survival rates but more research needs to be done. I’m not severely impacted by this health risk so I’m not overly concerned about its effects. Furthermore, heart attack aside I still wish to reduce anxiety levels.
d. While I don’t plan on having any cardiovascular issues in the near future, it does put into perspective how my mental health impacts my physiological health. My reasons for reducing anxiety was primarily to improve my mental wellness. I didn’t think mental thoughts could pose a long term effect on other biological processes. I thought once the anxiety is gone, that is it; there are no other biological impacts other than those experienced in that moment of anxiety. After reading this article and I realize anxiety can have long-lasting effects on my physical and mental health. Anxiety can be difficult to manage but is important to manage. To interpret the numbers I mentally grouped people into the categories the article described and thought about how mental illness affects people’s choices. For example, those with chronic mood disorders post-heart attack may have died because their mood disorder perpetuated poor lifestyle choices that increased their risk of cardiovascular disease (i.e. not wanting to cook a meal and instead opting for a fast food meal).
e. Slovic’s work does apply to my own perceptions of the risks that I read in the story. As I stated previously, I feel I have some control over my anxiety levels. I know that there are multiple resources available to help me cope with and reduce anxiety. Furthermore, society has made improvements towards destigmatizing mental illness; mental illness isn’t a foreign concept that people are scared to talk about. With this information, I am less worried about being affected by this condition. If I suffer from a heart attack, my solution would be to work towards reducing anxiety levels, something I am in control of.
I wonder if a certain cause of a heart attack, like stress, can determine and directly affect the increase of anxiety after a heart attack.