Fatigue, irritability, demoralization may increase heart disease risk by 36 pc

A new research has examined that fatigue, increased irritability, and feeling demoralized, may increase a healthy man or woman's risk of first-time cardiovascular disease by 36 percent.

The study led by researchers at Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt hospitals found that vital exhaustion was associated with a dramatic increase in risk for first-time cardiovascular disease when compared to people not experiencing these three psychological factors.

Lead author Randy Cohen, MD, Medical Director of the University Medical Practice Associates at Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt, said that their study showed vital exhaustion was an important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease in otherwise healthy people and loss of vitality thus added to a growing number of psychosocial risk factors that had now been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, including anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

Study researchers investigated the relationship between vital exhaustion and first-time heart disease in 11 prospective studies that involved 60,610 people without heart disease. The studies had an average follow-up of 6.5 years.

Study co-author Alan Rozanski, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt, said that the identification of vital exhaustion as a coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factor appears timely and as society becomes increasingly fast paced, there was an increasing tendency for people to overwork while cutting back on sleep, exercise, and the rest and relaxation we all need to renew ourselves and prevent the factors that cause vital exhaustion.