Key result
Mental disorders linked to ~69% higher odds of cardiovascular events in older adults.
Why the study?
Growing evidence suggests poor mental health plays an important role in cardiovascular disease onset, but the association between mental disorders and cardiovascular events among middle-aged and older adults in Iran had not been well explored.
Does the presence of mental disorders (such as depression and anxiety) increase the odds of cardiovascular events in middle-aged and older adults aged ≥50 years in Iran?
Case-Control (n=14,674)
Yes
Does the presence of mental disorders (such as depression and anxiety) increase the odds of cardiovascular events in middle-aged and older adults aged ≥50 years in Iran?
In middle-aged and older Iranian adults, mental health disorders—particularly depression and anxiety—are independently associated with a 69% higher odds of experiencing cardiovascular events, underscoring the need to integrate mental health care into cardiovascular prevention strategies.
May support mental health screening in CV prevention for adults ≥50; hypothesis-generating given case-control design.
Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide, and growing evidence suggests that poor mental health may play an important role in their onset. However, the association between mental disorders and cardiovascular events (CVE) among middle-aged and older adults in Iran has not been well explored. Methods: This population based case control study using data from the Sina Electronic Health Record (SinaEHR®) system between 2017 and 2024. A total of 14,674 individuals aged ≥ 50 years were included, comprising 7,337 patients with confirmed CVE and 7,337 frequency-matched controls by age and sex without CVE. Mental disorders were identified based on ICD-10 codes (F00–F99), and cardiovascular outcomes included ischemic heart disease and stroke events. Logistic regression was applied to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR, AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) controlling for sociodemographic lifestyle and clinical variables. Results : Mental disorders were significantly more common among CVE cases (60.8%) compared to controls (39.2%, p_value < 0.001). After adjustment, mental disorders remained independently associated with CVE (AOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.52–1.88). Depression (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.22–1.92) and anxiety (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.56–2.40) were particularly strong predictors. Traditional risk factors also showed significant associations like advanced age (≥ 70 years, AOR = 3.39 compared to 50–59), overweight and obesity (AOR: 2.99–3.10 compared to healthy weight), hypertension (AOR = 2.12), hypercholesterolemia (AOR = 1.86), diabetes (AOR = 1.17), smoking (AOR = 1.72), and drug abuse (AOR = 2.30). Conclusion : Poor mental health especially depression and anxiety is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events in middle-aged and older adults. Integrating mental health assessment and care into cardiovascular prevention strategies could reduce CVE burden in this vulnerable population.
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Moradi et al. (2026) conducted a case-control in Cardiovascular events (ischemic heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis) (n=14,674). Mental disorders (ICD-10 codes F00–F99, including depression and anxiety) vs. No mental disorders was evaluated on Cardiovascular events (angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, other acute or chronic ischemic heart disease, cerebral infarction, and atherosclerosis) (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.52-1.88, p=<0.001). Mental disorders were independently associated with higher odds of cardiovascular events (adjusted OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.52–1.88; p<0.001) among adults aged ≥50 years.
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