MSGID: 1:317/3 62720199   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Mental illness plays havoc with the mind as well as the heart    
      
     Date:   
         May 3, 2022   
     Source:   
         University of South Australia   
     Summary:   
         We need to pay more attention to the physical impacts of mental   
         illness.   
      
         It could not only be messing with your mind, but also your heart,   
         say scientists.   
      
      
      
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   University of South Australia scientists have uncovered another reason   
   why society should be paying more attention to mental health: it is   
   closely aligned to blood pressure and heart rate variations.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   A new study published in BioMedical Engineering draws a link between   
   mental illness and widely fluctuating blood pressure, which can lead to   
   cardiovascular disease and organ damage.   
      
   UniSA researcher Dr Renly Lim and colleagues from Malaysian universities   
   say there is clear evidence that mental illness interferes with the   
   body's autonomic functions, including blood pressure, heart rate,   
   temperature and breathing.   
      
   "We reviewed 12 studies on people with anxiety, depression and   
   panic disorders and found that, regardless of age, mental illness is   
   significantly associated with greater blood pressure variations during   
   the day," Dr Lim says.   
      
   "We also found that for people who are mentally ill, their heart rate   
   does not adapt to external stressors as it should.   
      
   "Contrary to what many people think, a healthy heart is not one that beats   
   like a metronome. Instead, it should adjust to withstand environmental   
   and psychological challenges. A constantly changing heart rate is actually   
   a sign of good health."  Reduced heart rate variation (HRV) is common in   
   people with mental illness and indicates that the body's stress response   
   is poor, exacerbating the negative effects of chronic stress.   
      
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Unlike a person's heart rate -- how many times a heart beats in a minute -   
   - which is usually consistent, HRV is more complex and is the time between   
   two heartbeats, which should change according to external stressors.   
      
   "What we aim for is not a constantly changing heart rate but a high   
   heart rate variation. This is achieved through a healthy diet, exercise,   
   low stress and good mental health."  Low HRV occurs when a person's body   
   is in fight-or-flight mode, easily stressed and common in people with   
   chronic diseases, including cardiovascular and mental health problems.   
      
   While large blood pressure variations (BPV) during the day are not ideal,   
   at night the systolic pressure should dip by between 10-20 per cent to   
   allow the heart to rest. The researchers found that in people with mental   
   health issues, their blood pressure does not drop sufficiently at night.   
      
   The reduced dipping -- under 10 per cent -- can be caused by many factors,   
   including autonomic dysfunction, poor quality of sleep and disrupted   
   circadian rhythms that regulate the sleep-wake cycle.   
      
   "The takeout from this study is that we need to pay more attention to   
   the physical impacts of mental illness," Dr Lim says.   
      
   "It is a major global burden, affecting between 11-18 per cent (one   
   billion) of people worldwide. Since mental illness can contribute to the   
   deterioration of heart and blood pressure regulation, early therapeutic   
   intervention is essential."  The research was undertaken at the University   
   of Malaya, University of South Australia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,   
   and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_South_Australia. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Nur Husna Shahimi, Renly Lim, Sumaiyah Mat, Choon-Hian Goh, Maw   
      Pin Tan,   
         Einly Lim. Association between mental illness and blood pressure   
         variability: a systematic review. BioMedical Engineering OnLine,   
         2022; 21 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12938-022-00985-w   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220503201650.htm   
      
   --- up 9 weeks, 1 day, 10 hours, 50 minutes   
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)   
   SEEN-BY: 15/0 106/201 114/705 123/120 129/330 331 153/7715 218/700   
   SEEN-BY: 229/110 111 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 292/854 298/25 305/3   
   SEEN-BY: 317/3 320/219 396/45   
   PATH: 317/3 229/426