Scientists have revealed which people have an increased risk of heart disease at a young age

An analysis of nearly 600,000 U.S. adults found that those diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder may have a higher risk of heart disease at a younger age than adults with the same diagnoses no.

“Previous research has shown that people with serious mental illnesses die 10-20 years earlier than their healthy peers. Their leading cause of death is heart disease,” says lead study author Rebecca S. Rossom, MD, senior fellow in behavioral health at HealthPartners Institute in Minneapolis.

This analysis assessed data on the state of health of almost 600,000 people aged 18 to 75. Almost 2%, or approximately 11,000 adults, have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. The researchers found that adults in the study with one of the mental illnesses considered had an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk of 9.5%, compared with 8% for adults without mental illness.

Estimated 30-year cardiovascular risk – of vascular diseases was significantly higher among persons with mental illness. 25% compared to 11% among people without serious mental illness. An increased risk of heart disease was evident even in young people aged 18-34.