summary: Researchers have found that brain activity associated with hypertension, depression, and emotions is associated with the development of hypertension.
sauce: Max Planck Institute
Our mental health and cardiovascular health have a complex interplay.
A recent study from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig, Germany, has shown links between high blood pressure and brain activity related to depressive symptoms, well-being, and emotions. Development of hypertension.
Several studies have already reported links between mental health and high blood pressure, with mixed or even contradictory results.
In their study, MPI CBS researchers now delve into the relationship between mental health, hypertension, and hypertension in the mid-60s using extensive psychological, medical and imaging data from older populations. Analyzing.
“We used a very large sample size from the UK Biobank of over 500,000 study participants to get a statistically sound answer. , could be shown to be associated with decreased brain activity related to emotion, which is surprising at first but can be explained by other findings,” said the study.
Interestingly, researchers also found that hypertension threats were associated with worsening mental health, years before hypertension was diagnosed.
Arno Villringer, Director of Neurology at MPI CBS, explains: Last author of the study.
“On the other hand, we suspect that reinforcement learning ultimately contributes to the development of permanent hypertension in people who feel good mentally despite having temporarily elevated blood pressure.
This is because the higher the blood pressure, the higher the pain threshold. This applies not only to physical pain, but also to social pain and great stress. So they endure pain and stress and are diagnosed with hypertension after 10 years. “
Researchers believe these findings lay the groundwork for a new way of thinking about the link between mental health and the causes of hypertension.
For the widespread depression and hypertension, such a shift in perspective could enable new approaches to treatment and prevention that focus on the interplay between mental and physical health. I have.
About this Psychology Research News
author: press office
sauce: Max Planck Institute
contact: Press Office – Max Planck Institute
image: image is public domain
Original research: open access.
“Links to mental health, blood pressure, and development of hypertensionH. Lina Schaare et al. Nature Communications
overview
Links to mental health, blood pressure, and development of hypertension
Multiple studies have reported links between mental health and hypertension, with mixed and contradictory results. and neuroimaging data to further analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between mental health, systolic blood pressure, and hypertension.
Higher systolic blood pressure has been shown to be associated with fewer depressive symptoms, higher levels of happiness, and lower emotion-related brain activity. Interestingly, impending hypertension is associated with worsening mental health years before the diagnosis of HTN. Furthermore, stronger baseline associations between systolic blood pressure and better mental health were observed in individuals who developed hypertension until follow-up.
Overall, our findings provide insight into the complex relationship between mental health, blood pressure, and hypertension, suggesting that, through baroreceptor mechanisms and reinforcement learning, higher blood pressure and better mental health can be linked to better mental health. may ultimately contribute to the development of hypertension.
