A traumatic event can affect much more than emotional well-being. New research suggests that mental health conditions that develop after trauma may also signal a higher risk of serious cardiovascular problems later. The study examined conditions such as alcohol abuse, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychiatric disorders.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found links between posttraumatic mental health conditions and later heart attacks, strokes, procedures that restore blood flow to the heart, and cardiovascular death.
Trauma Can Affect Heart Health
Traumatic experiences can take many forms. They may include serious fires or explosions, physical assault, transportation accidents, the suicide or death of a loved one, or severe illness and injury.
Jennifer A. Sumner, Ph.D., lead study author and an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, “Experiencing traumatic events can significantly affect mental health as well as cardiovascular health.”
Researchers have often focused on PTSD when studying trauma and heart disease. However, this study looked beyond PTSD. It examined a wider range of mental health conditions that may appear after a traumatic experience.
Alcohol Abuse Stood Out
Researchers analyzed national health registries in Denmark to examine whether diagnosed mental health conditions within three years of a traumatic event were linked to later cardiovascular problems.
One finding stood out: alcohol abuse ranked as the most important mental health predictor of serious heart or brain conditions in both men and women.
Sumner said people may turn to alcohol after trauma as a way to cope with difficult emotions. She explained, “Over time, this new behavior might develop into alcohol abuse, thus increasing their risk of a serious heart or brain condition.”
The finding does not mean that every person who drinks after trauma will develop heart disease. Instead, it points to alcohol abuse as an important factor that researchers and health professionals may need to consider when assessing long-term health after trauma.
Depression and Other Conditions
Mood disorders, including depression, also showed a strong connection with later cardiovascular outcomes. Researchers found that these disorders served as stronger predictors for women than for men.
The study also identified several other mental health conditions associated with a higher future risk of cardiovascular problems. These included:
– PTSD
– Mental disorders caused by brain or physical conditions
– Non-substance-induced confusion
– Substance use disorders
-Personality disorders
– Schizophrenia
– Bipolar disorder
– Anxiety disorders
Researchers used machine learning to identify the 15 mental health disorder predictors that had the strongest links with cardiovascular outcomes. They examined these relationships separately among men and women.
What the Study Examined
The research included 219,866 adults in Denmark who were at least 18 years old. The health data covered the period from 1995 through 2019.
During that period, 43,994 people experienced at least one of the cardiovascular outcomes studied. These included a nonfatal heart attack, a nonfatal stroke, a procedure to restore blood flow to the heart, or cardiovascular death.
Researchers compared these participants with 175,872 people who experienced trauma but did not experience one of those cardiovascular events.
The study focused on mental health diagnoses that appeared within three years after trauma. Researchers then examined how those conditions related to later cardiovascular outcomes.
Mental and Physical Health Are Connected
Glenn N. Levine, M.D., FAHA, who was not involved in the research, said the findings add to evidence connecting psychological and cardiovascular health.
Levine chaired the writing group for the American Heart Association’s 2025 scientific statement on post-myocardial infarction psychological distress. He also serves as a master clinician and professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and as Cardiology Section Chief at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.
“Traumatic experiences that lead to mental health disorders can have lasting effects on the risk of developing heart disease,” Levine said. He added that recognizing trauma, seeking mental health support, and managing cardiovascular risk factors may help reduce that risk.
The findings support a broader approach to health after trauma. Mental health symptoms should not be viewed separately from physical health, especially when they persist or become severe.
Study Limitations
The research has some important limits. Denmark’s national health care system provides free health care to residents, so the findings may not apply in the same way to people living in other countries or regions.
The researchers also did not determine exactly why people with posttraumatic mental health conditions faced a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. The study identified associations rather than proving that a specific psychiatric condition directly caused a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event.
Sumner noted that the study was unusual because it covered many types of trauma and considered several psychiatric conditions rather than focusing only on PTSD.
“Ultimately, recognizing and treating a variety of psychiatric conditions resulting from trauma is important,” Sumner said, noting that doing so may benefit both mental and cardiovascular health over the long term.
The study shows why mental health deserves attention after a traumatic event. Conditions such as alcohol abuse, depression, PTSD, and anxiety were linked with later cardiovascular problems.
Although the research does not prove direct causation, the findings support closer attention to both mental and heart health during long-term post-trauma care.
