Your genes may put you at higher risk for a heart attack during stressful times, including presidential election season.
Research from Massachusetts General Hospital found that people with certain genetic traits that are associated with anxiety or depression are at “significantly higher risk of heart attack” during times of social or political stress, such as presidential elections, the winter holidays and even the Super Bowl.
That could add to the pressure as former President Trump was found guilty this week on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
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The study, presented in April at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions, is the first genetics-based examination of whether pressure sensitivity is a driver of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
These syndromes include heart attacks and other “serious conditions in which the heart suddenly lacks blood supply,” according to a press release.
The study found that people who are stress-sensitive, anxious or depressed “have a significantly higher risk of heart attack” during times of social or political stress. (Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images; iStock)
Of 18,428 Massachusetts General Hospital Biobank participants, 1,890 developed ACS between 2000 and 2020.
The researchers measured participants’ stress sensitivity by measuring their Neuroticism Polygenic Risk Score (nPRS).
Stressful periods—including the five days after the presidential election and the 10 days around Christmas—accounted for 3.2% of the observed timelines.
A total of 71 ACS cases occurred during the stress period, compared with 1,819 cases during the control period.
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Researchers found that people with high genetic stress sensitivity had a 36% higher risk of developing ACS.
Those with high genetic stress were three times more likely to develop anxiety or depression at the same time.
A new study found that people above the median nPRS, or those with a higher genetic sensitivity to stress, had a 36% higher risk of developing ACS. (iStock)
“High nPRS indicates elevated genetic susceptibility to stress, mediating ACS risk during periods of sociopolitical stress,” the study authors wrote in their conclusion.
“A multifaceted approach [cardiovascular disease] Prevention may be beneficial.
“If you have both conditions, your risk increases significantly.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the study’s lead author Shady Abohashem, MD, an instructor of cardiovascular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said that while the numbers are “shocking,” the overall results are not. Unexpected, since anxiety and depression alone are associated with a significant risk of heart attack regardless of genetic factors.
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“So if you have both conditions, your risk increases significantly,” he said.
Through scientific analysis, Abohashem and his research colleagues found that approximately 25% of ACS cases are caused by anxiety and depression.
Researchers told Fox News Digital that anxiety and depression were responsible for about a quarter of the development of ACS in the study. (iStock)
The impact of genetic susceptibility on heart attack risk may be an important factor for cardiologists and general care physicians to consider, Abohashem said.
He recommends incorporating these screening tests into cardiovascular risk assessments to help identify those at highest risk.
“The mind-to-mind connection is very strong, and this study highlights that not only our bodies, but also our minds need rest and care.”
He added: “Based on this identification, we can develop targeted interventions, or possibly preventive strategies, that could help us protect these people from having a heart attack in the future.”
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Researchers are currently conducting a study to explore how lifestyle changes can benefit people with a high genetic risk for stress.
Since 2024 is an election year, Aboul Hashem recommended that Americans relieve stress through effective ways such as exercise or yoga.
Shady Abohashem, MD, instructor of cardiovascular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, is the lead author of the new study and shared insights with Fox News Digital. (ACC (American College of Cardiology))
Dr. Lakshmi Mehta, an American Heart Association medical expert and chief of cardiology at The Ohio State University, commented on the study in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“This is an interesting study that further supports the data on mind-to-heart connections,” said Mehta, who was not involved in the study. “It highlights the importance of mental health and its impact on overall health, including the heart.”
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Mehta did note that the “retrospective nature” of the study “limits the ability to show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.”
The cardiologist emphasized that the study “enhances preventive care for the whole person.”
One doctor emphasized the importance of medicine focusing on “the heart-to-heart connection.” (iStock)
“The mind-to-spirit connection is very strong, and this study highlights that not only our bodies, but also our minds need rest and care,” she said.
“The public needs to be aware of the impact social and political pressures have on us, that it’s OK to take a break from these stressors, and it’s beneficial to learn more about interventions such as yoga, exercise and mindfulness.”
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The expert encourages doctors to provide their patients with the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” recommendations, which are key measures to maintain cardiovascular health.
The eight steps include eating better, being more active, eliminating nicotine products, getting healthy sleep, controlling weight, controlling cholesterol, controlling blood sugar and maintaining healthy blood pressure.
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