People with serious mental illnesses, consisting of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, have a high burden of modifiable cardiovascular risk behaviors and conditions and have a cardiovascular mortality rate twice that of the general population.
People with acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases are at increased risk of developing mental health symptoms and illnesses.
There is emerging evidence of shared etiological factors between severe mental illness and cardiovascular disease that include biological, genetic, and behavioral mechanisms.
Highlights • People with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, have a higher prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk behaviors and conditions, and double the cardiovascular mortality rate of the general population. • There is emerging evidence that serious mental illness and cardiovascular disease share several behavioral, biological, and genetic mechanisms. • There is a need for specific interventions to improve cardiovascular health in people with serious mental illness. |
