If thinking about this November makes your blood boil, take note: a new study shows heart attacks are more likely during presidential elections and other high-stress times.
According to the study, presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in April, people with specific genetic traits and those who have anxiety or depression have a significantly higher heart attack risk during periods of social or political stress than at other times.
Researchers say the study is the first to examine the genetic basis for stress sensitivity as a potential driver behind acute coronary syndromes (ACS), which include heart attacks and other serious conditions where the heart is suddenly deprived of blood supply.
The results indicate that people with high genetic stress sensitivity had a higher risk of ACS during stressful periods and that risk was more than tripled among people who also had anxiety or depression.
"We found people who are genetically predisposed to stress tend to have a strikingly higher probability of developing a heart attack after these stressful events," lead study author Dr. Shady Abohashem said in a statement.
The research is based on data from 18,428 people who provided health information and blood samples to the Mass General Brigham Biobank over the 20-year study period between 2000 and 2020. Researchers analyzed participants' stress sensitivity by measuring their neuroticism polygenic risk score (nPRS), a metric that reflects a person's genetic predisposition to stress.
Researchers focused on people who experienced ACS events during periods of sociopolitical stress, those who experienced ACS events during control periods and those who did not experience ACS.
Stressful periods comprised 3.2% of the total study period, including the 10 days after Christmas each year, the five days after each presidential election and the five days after major sporting events (such as Super Bowls and NBA playoffs). For controls, researchers compared these high-stress periods with other days of the year.
According to the results, a total of 71 ACS cases took place during stressful periods compared to 1,819 cases during the control period.
The results show people with above average nPRS scores were 34% more likely to experience ACS during stressful periods than during control periods, even after the researchers accounted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as age, sex, smoking and diabetes and health behaviors such as alcohol consumption.
People with higher nPRS scores were also more likely to experience anxiety and depression. The researchers found people with above average nPRS who also developed anxiety or depression were three times more likely to experience ACS after stressful events than during control periods.
Researchers say the findings suggest that broader use of genetic testing and screening for anxiety and depression could help to identify those at higher risk.
"We now understand that there are certain factors driving this increase in heart attacks in those who are at increased risk," Abohashem said. "We could potentially target those people with screenings and dual-benefit interventions, such as exercise, yoga, mindfulness or other approaches that are associated with reductions in anxiety and depression and also with lowering cardiovascular risk."