The study included 2,19,866 adults who did or did not develop serious heart or brain disease after a traumatic event | Image used for representative purposes only | Photo credit: Getty Images
Mental health conditions that can develop after a traumatic incident may contribute to a higher risk of future cardiovascular problems, such as non-fatal heart attack and stroke or a fatal cardiac event, according to a new study.
“Traumatic events are common and can include serious fires or explosions, physical violence, traffic accidents, suicide or death of a loved one, and serious illness or injury,” said lead author Jennifer Sumner, assistant professor of psychology at UCLA.
“Experiencing traumatic events can have a significant impact on mental health as well as cardiovascular health. Although much of the work to date has focused on PTSD and cardiovascular health, our research suggests that we need to consider a wide range of mental health outcomes when we consider cardiovascular risk after injury,” Sumner said.
Research published in the journal Journal of the American Heart Associationstudied Danish national health registries, examining 2,19,866 adults who did or did not develop serious heart or brain disease after a traumatic event.
About 44,000 of the 2,19,866 participants experienced a nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, procedures to restore blood flow to the heart, or cardiovascular death between 1995 and 2019.
The researchers compared 1,75,872 people who had suffered trauma, but not cardiovascular injury, with peers who had suffered a heart attack, stroke, procedures to restore blood flow to the heart, or cardiovascular death over a 24-year period.
A wide range of mental health conditions have been examined as possible predictors of cardiovascular disease, and machine learning has been used to identify the 15 most important predictors of mental health disorders affecting heart and brain outcomes.
Alcohol abuse has been found to be the most important mental health risk associated with serious heart or brain disease for men and women.
“For men and women, the most important psychiatric predictor of MACCE (major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events) was alcohol use disorder,” the authors wrote.
“After a traumatic life experience, people may turn to alcohol to cope and manage their emotions. Over time, this new behavior can develop into alcohol abuse, which increases the risk of serious heart or brain disease,” Sumner said.
Mood disorders, including depression, have been found to be strong indicators of post-traumatic psychiatric problems associated with cardiovascular disease in both men and women. However, mood disorders were a stronger predictor for women than for men.
Psychological conditions that may occur after a traumatic event are associated with a higher risk of future heart and brain disease include post-traumatic stress disorder, mental disorders caused by brain or physical problems, confusion not caused by substance use, personality disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.
Published – September 8, 2026 6:25 pm EST.