Managing a chronic health condition can be stressful. If you’re one of the estimated 1 in 500 people in the U.S. living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), you can probably attest to this. For many people with HCM, this ongoing stress can take a real toll on mental health.

Anxiety and depression are very common mental health disorders. Moreover, they’ve been found to be more common among people diagnosed with HCM than in the general population. This may be because what’s going on in the heart can affect the brain, and vice versa. This connection also helps explain cardiac symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heartbeat. But how exactly does HCM impact mental health?

Here, we explore the connection between HCM and anxiety and depressive disorders, including what you can do to cope if you find yourself dealing with one of these common conditions.

How HCM Can Affect Your Mental Health

HCM causes the walls of the heart muscle to enlarge and thicken. This structural change can make it harder for the heart to get enough blood and pump it where it needs to go. If you have HCM, you may often find yourself worrying about your symptoms or your overall well-being. According to the American Heart Association, many people deal with anxiety after being diagnosed with HCM. Depression has also been found to be common among people with HCM.

One study found that people with HCM were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety, stress, or mood disorders than those without the heart condition.

One study found that people with HCM were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety, stress, or mood disorders than those without the heart condition. This higher risk was most pronounced within the first year after HCM diagnosis.

Anxiety

Anxiety symptoms, such as fear and worry, may be partly due to the increased risk of serious complications linked to HCM, such as heart attack and sudden cardiac death. They may also be caused or intensified by some symptoms of HCM that overlap with those of a panic attack, such as chest pain, increased heart rate, or abnormal heart rhythms.

Depression

The daily stress of living with a chronic condition that requires management and that can physically limit you can also contribute to low mood and other depressive symptoms. Health-related stress can worsen existing symptoms of anxiety or depression or trigger them for the first time.

How Your Mental Health Can Impact Your Heart

Your mental health also plays a role in your cardiovascular health. Stress, in particular, is a major trigger of the immune system.

Raised Blood Pressure or Heart Rate

When you’re stressed, your body’s defense system gets a jump start. When this happens, proteins that cause inflammation, destroy healthy cells, and make it harder for new cells to grow are released. This process causes levels of adrenaline and cortisol — also known as the fight-or-flight hormones — to rise. These hormones help regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. So, in times of stress, you may have high blood pressure and feel like your heart is pounding or racing.

Chronic stress can wear down your body, making it a risk factor for cardiac events like heart failure.

Nurturing your body can help strengthen your immune system. But, when you’re dealing with anxiety or depression, it’s not always easy to get a good night’s sleep, have the energy to prepare and eat healthy foods, or get exercise. Mental health conditions can also make it harder for you to take any medications you need, which can lead to a harmful cycle.

Increased Risk of Heart Failure and Sudden Cardiac Death

Chronic stress can wear down your body, making it a risk factor for cardiac events like heart failure. This may be why both anxiety and depression have been linked to poorer outcomes among people with HCM. One study found that having anxiety increased the risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac death in people with HCM.

Moreover, those with both anxiety and depression were four times as likely to have heart failure and three and a half times as likely to experience sudden cardiac death than people without the mental health disorders.

A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that looked at patients with HCM over four years had similar findings. The researchers found that having depression almost doubled the risk of sudden cardiac death and HCM-related heart failure.

Although it can be stressful to think about the connection between mental health and HCM outcomes, support is available.

When Support May Be Needed

Both anxiety and depression have been linked to serious complications in people living with HCM. Because of this, it’s essential that those with the heart condition seek treatment for mental health symptoms. If you have HCM and are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, talk to your cardiologist or primary care provider. They may give you a referral to a mental health care professional.

Your doctor may recommend interventions to treat anxiety or depression, such as talk therapy, medication, and self-care practices.

Mental health symptoms that may require management include:

• Constant feelings of worry, panic, tension, or restlessness
• Trouble sleeping
• Consistently low mood or energy level
• Withdrawal from activities, especially those that you used to enjoy
• Avoidance of activities that may trigger anxiety
• Difficulty focusing
• Thoughts of self-harm

Your doctor may recommend interventions to treat your anxiety or depression, such as talk therapy and medication. If you have depression, they may also suggest self-care practices, such as adopting healthy lifestyle habits like regular physical activity, eating heart-healthy foods, avoiding alcohol, getting enough sleep, and seeing friends and family more often.

Where To Find Support

Dealing with mental health issues on your own can be difficult, but you don’t have to find your way alone. There are many support systems in place to help you better manage your anxiety and depression.

Support Groups and Group Therapy

Peer support groups can offer understanding and validation. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) can help connect you with a support group near you. If you’d prefer not to meet in person or you can’t find a group nearby, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) offers online support groups. Ask your doctor about group therapy, which, in addition to one-on-one support, can help improve quality of life.

For those who have had heart surgery, post-surgery groups and cardiac rehab services can help you tend to your mental and physical health after surgery. These groups can help provide healthy living advice and coping mechanisms like stress management strategies. Ask your cardiology provider what support groups are available near you.

Online Communities

You can also find support managing your mental health among those who share your HCM diagnosis. Online communities like MyHeartDiseaseTeam can help you work through issues with anxiety and depression, while also being mindful of your heart health. It can be comforting to know that you’re not alone on your mental health journey.

Join the Conversation

On MyHeartDiseaseTeam, people share their experiences with heart disease, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Do you have anxiety or depression along with HCM? Let others know in the comments below.