Here’s one more reason to take mental health seriously: People with untreated mental health conditions face an increased risk of heart disease, including risk of an eventual heart attack.
This link matters for a large portion of older adults. Nearly 1 in 7 U.S. residents over age 50 is living with a mental health disorder.
A 2025 review in the Lancet Journal Health suggests that people with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder face substantially higher odds of developing cardiovascular disease. This risk can stem from lifestyle, biological response and access to health care.
The review found that those with major depression are 72 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, including conditions like heart attack, heart failure and stroke. The risk was also elevated for other mental health conditions: 95 percent higher for schizophrenia, 57 percent for bipolar disorder, 61 percent for PTSD and 41 percent for anxiety disorders.
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“Lots of people have this kind of comorbidity,” says Dr. Viola Vaccarino, lead author of the paper and chair of cardiovascular research at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.
“Since cardiovascular disease predominantly affects people over 50, this demographic bears the heaviest burden,” she says.