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CV fitness may mitigate link between nonpsychotic disorders, stroke
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Certain nonpsychotic disorders were associated with elevated stroke risk in young men, but the link was attenuated by higher levels of CV fitness, according to new findings.
Researchers evaluated whether nonpsychotic mental disorders in men aged 18 years were risk factors for early stroke, and whether the relationship was affected by CV fitness and intelligence quotient.
They analyzed 1,163,845 men aged 18 years who were conscripted into the Swedish military between 1968 and 2005. At baseline, 45,064 had a nonpsychotic mental disorder. During follow-up of 5 to 42 years, the researchers calculated risk for stroke and relationship to CV fitness as assessed by the cycle ergometric test and to intelligence as assessed by intelligence quotient tests.
During the study period, 7,770 participants had a first-time stroke. After adjustment, men with depressive or neurotic disorders (HR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11-1.37), personality disorders (HR = 1.52; 95% CI, 95% CI, 1.29-1.78) and alcohol or substance use disorders (HR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.41-1.83) showed an increased risk for stroke, according to the researchers.
They also found that those disorders conferred increased risk for fatal stroke (depressive or neurotic disorders, HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.06-1.79; personality disorders, HR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.6-3.19; alcohol or substance use disorders, HR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.63-2.96).
However, they found that men with high CV fitness were at less risk for stroke even if they had depressive or neurotic disorders (P for interaction = .001), personality disorders (P for interaction = .03) or alcohol or substance disorders (P for interaction= .008). There was no interaction between intelligence quotient, any nonpsychotic disorder and stroke risk.
“Statistically significant interactions were shown for fitness, suggesting that this modifiable risk factor may constitute a target for interventions for young men with nonpsychotic mental health issues,” Maria A.I. Åberg, MD, PhD, from University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues wrote. – by Erik Swain
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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