James Donaldson on Mental Health - Cardiovascular disease linked to 43% higher suicide risk in Korean study

By Kim Kyoung-Won A large-scale Korean study has found that patients with cardiovascular disease face a significantly higher risk of suicide, suggesting that mental health assessments may need to be incorporated into routine cardiovascular care.

Researchers at the Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center analyzed National Health Insurance Service data from 227,472 adults who underwent health screening in 2009.

The study included 37,912 patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease—defined as previous myocardial infarction or stroke—and 189,560 age- and sex-matched controls.

The analysis showed that patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease had a 43 percent higher risk of suicide than controls during the follow-up period.

The elevated risk was observed among patients with either myocardial infarction or stroke.

Patients who had experienced both myocardial infarction and stroke faced the greatest risk, with an 85 percent higher likelihood of suicide than the control group.

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that while myocardial infarction and stroke each independently increase suicide risk, experiencing both conditions may have an additive effect.

The association remained consistent regardless of age, sex or prior history of depression.

Notably, the elevated risk was also observed in patients without a previous diagnosis of depression, suggesting that cardiovascular disease itself may be associated with long-term mental health outcomes.

"Myocardial infarction and stroke are not only life-threatening conditions but can also have lasting effects on patients' mental health," said Professor Bae Nan-young of the Department of Cardiology at Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center.