The researchers believe the study proves that our body and mind are much closer together than one would think. This is the first time a study has managed to show such a clear connection between depression and risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an enlarged area in the lower part of the major vessel that supplies blood to the body. The aorta runs from your heart through the center of your chest and abdomen.
The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, so a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm can cause life-threatening bleeding, according to Mayo.
But scientists are not sure why some people get this disease.
Researchers at NTNU in Trondheim have now found a clear link between symptoms of depression and the risk of developing the disease. This study shows that individuals with depressive symptoms have significantly higher risk of developing AAA.
-If you are depressed, you have a 30 per cent greater risk of getting an outgrowth on the main pulse vein, says researcher Linn Åldstedt Nyrønning to NRK.
She is the first author in the study published in the journal Journal of the American Heart Association. Newborn has recently completed a doctorate in clinical medicine for this disease.
The study has attracted international interest and have been presented at two international vascular surgeries, in Valencia and London.
