The close relation between mental health and blood pressure.- edited by Aishee Biswas

The interplay between our mental health and cardiovascular system is complex. A recent study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, reveals a link between higher blood pressure and depressive symptoms, as well as emotion-related brain activity that may be relevant to the development of hypertension.
 

While previous studies have also reported a correlation between mental health and hypertension, the results have been mixed and sometimes contradictory. The MPI CBS researchers used extensive psychological, medical, and imaging data from the elderly population to deeply analyze the relationship between mental health, higher blood pressure, and hypertension in mid-60-year-olds.

 

To obtain statistically robust answers, the researchers utilized the large sample size of over 500,000 study participants in the UK Biobank. The study found that higher blood pressure is associated with fewer depressive symptoms, greater well-being, and lower emotion-related brain activity, which was surprising initially but can be explained by their other findings.

 

Interestingly, the study also discovered that the threat of high blood pressure (hypertension) is linked to poorer mental health, even years before hypertension is diagnosed.
 

The head of the Department of Neurology at MPI CBS explained that patients often feel tired and fatigued, leading them to avoid taking their medication for higher blood pressure due to its negative impact on their mood. On the other hand, it is also suspected that reinforcement learning may contribute to the development of permanent high blood pressure in individuals who feel mentally well despite having temporarily elevated blood pressure.
 

One reason for this is that higher blood pressure can lead to an increase in the pain threshold, not only for physical pain but also for social pain and stress. As a result, individuals may endure pain or stress, and over time develop hypertension.

 

The researchers suggest that these findings provide a foundation for rethinking the relationship between mental health and the underlying causes of hypertension. This shift in perspective could pave the way for new prevention and treatment strategies for depression and hypertension that consider the complex interplay between physical and mental health.