A sweeping review published in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe has drawn a direct line between mental health disorders and cardiovascular disease (CVD), showing that individuals living with psychiatric conditions face not only a higher risk of heart problems but also a shorter life expectancy.

The paper , authored by researchers from Emory University, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Leeds, and others, concludes that people with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety live 10 to 20 years less on average, mainly due to heart disease.

The analysis shows that the connection between mental health and cardiovascular disease is not one-directional. The stress of a heart attack or stroke can trigger psychiatric disorders,

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