­Heart Rate, Blood Pressure in Adolescence May Increase the Risk for Psychiatric Disorders Later in Life

A high resting heart rate (>82 beats per minute [bpm]) and high blood pressure in young adulthood is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders later in life, according to new research from Sweden.

Previous studies have suggested a link between elevated resting heart rate and psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Abnormal blood pressure has also been associated with schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. However, the results are inconsistent.
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For their analysis, the researchers examined data collected from men (mean age 18.3 years) during the 1969 to 2010 Swedish military conscriptions.

The researchers included men with resting heart rate data (n=1,039,443) and blood pressure data (n=1,555,979) who had register-based follow-up data available until the end of 2013.

Analysis showed that a resting heart rate above 82 bpm was associated with a 69% higher risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder, a 21% higher risk for schizophrenia, and an 18% higher risk for anxiety disorders compared with a heart rate below 62 bpm. Analysis of systolic/diastolic blood pressure revealed similar results.

However, lower resting heart rates and systolic blood pressure were associated with substance abuse disorders and violent criminality.

“Our results suggest that for men, differences in heart rate and blood pressure in late adolescence are associated with lifetime major psychiatric disorders, with higher levels associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders and lower levels associated with substance use disorders and violent behavior,” the researchers conclude.

“Differences in autonomic nervous system functioning may predate or represent an early marker of psychiatric disorders.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Latvala A, Kuja-Halkola R, Rück C, et al. Association of resting heart rate and blood pressure in late adolescence with subsequent mental disorders [published online October 26, 2016]. JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.2717.