Health
Heart attacks more likely during presidential elections and other stressful times, study shows
Your genes could put you at a higher risk of heart attack during very stressful times.
Research from Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who have specific genetic traits, paired with anxiety or depression, are at a “significantly higher heart attack risk” during periods of social or political stress, such as presidential elections, winter holidays or even the Super Bowl.
The study, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific session in April, was the first to examine stress sensitivity based on genetics as a driver of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
CHICAGO NURSE IS FINALLY FREE OF COVID-19-RELATED PTSD AND DEPRESSION AFTER ELECTRICAL BRAIN TAPPING THERAPY
These syndromes include heart attacks and other “serious conditions where the heart is suddenly deprived of blood supply,” a press release noted.
Of 18,428 Mass General Brigham Biobank participants, 1,890 developed ACS between 2000 and 2020.
People with high stress sensitivity, anxiety or depression are at a “significantly higher heart attack risk” during periods of social or political stress, the study found. (Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images; iStock)
The researchers measured the participants’ stress sensitivity by measuring their neuroticism polygenic risk score (nPRS).
Stressful periods — including five days after presidential elections and 10 days surrounding Christmas Day — made up 3.2% of the observed timeline.
A total of 71 ACS cases took place during stressful periods, compared to 1,819 during control periods.
AMERICANS NEED MORE SLEEP, LESS STRESS, EXPERTS SAY, AS GALLUP POLL REVEALS TROUBLING FINDINGS
People with high genetic stress sensitivity had a 36% higher risk of ACS, the researchers found.
Those with high genetic stress who also developed anxiety or depression had three times the risk.
People with above median nPRS, or high genetic stress sensitivity, had a 36% higher risk of ACS, a new study found. (iStock)
“High nPRS, indicating elevated genetic susceptibility to stress, mediates ACS risk during periods of socio-political stress,” the study authors wrote as a conclusion. “A multifaceted approach to [cardiovascular disease] prevention may benefit.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, lead study author Shady Abohashem, M.D., instructor of cardiovascular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said that while the numbers are “striking,” the results overall are not surprising, since anxiety and depression alone have been associated with a substantial risk for heart attack regardless of genetics.
ANGER CAN INCREASE HEART ATTACK RISK, STUDY FINDS: ‘CHRONIC INSULT TO ARTERIES’
“So, if you have both conditions, you would expect to have a substantial increase in your risk,” he said.
Through scientific analysis, Abohashem and his fellow researchers found that about 25% of ACS cases were due to anxiety and depression.
About a quarter of ACS developments in this study were due to anxiety and depression, the researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
The impact of genetic susceptibility on heart attack risk could be an important factor for cardiologists and general care physicians to consider, Abohashem said.
He suggested implementing these screenings into cardiovascular risk assessments to help identify those people at most risk.
“The mind-heart connection is strong, and this study highlights that not only our bodies, but also our minds, need rest and care.”
“Based on that identification, we could develop targeted intervention, or maybe preventive strategies, that could help us protect those people from developing heart attacks in the future,” he added.
HEART HEALTH RISK FACTORS FOR WOMEN OVER AGE 50
The researchers are currently working on a study to discover how lifestyle modifications can benefit people with a high genetic risk for stress.
As 2024 is an election year, Abohashem advised Americans to manage stress through effective outlets like exercise or yoga.
Shady Abohashem, M.D., instructor of cardiovascular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, was the lead author of the new study and shared insights with Fox News Digital. (ACC (American College of Cardiology))
Dr. Laxmi Mehta, an American Heart Association medical expert and cardiology director at The Ohio State University, commented on the study in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
“This is an interesting study that further supports the data of the mind-heart connection,” said Mehta, who was not involved in the research. “It highlights the importance of mental health and its impact on overall health, including the heart.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Mehta did note that the “retrospective nature” of the study “limits the ability to show a direct causal relationship between mental health conditions” such as depression and anxiety.
The study “reinforces whole-person preventative care,” the cardiologist emphasized.
A doctor stressed the importance of a medical focus on the “mind-heart connection.” (iStock)
“The mind-heart connection is strong, and this study highlights that not only our bodies, but also our minds, need rest and care,” she said.
“The public needs to be aware of the impact social and political stress has on us, that it is OK to take a break from these stressors, and also that it is good to learn more about interventions like yoga, exercise and mindfulness.”
The expert encouraged doctors to advise their patients on the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8,” which are key measures to maintaining cardiovascular health.
These eight steps include eating better, being more active, quitting nicotine products, getting healthy sleep, managing weight, controlling cholesterol, managing blood sugar and maintaining healthy blood pressure.
For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new treatment for endometrial cancer demonstrated strong potential in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
Drugmaker Merck announced Monday that the investigational drug sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT) met its “primary endpoints” of overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
The TroFuse-005 trial is the first global Phase 3 trial to “demonstrate statistically significant improvement” in survival compared to chemotherapy in these patients, according to a Merck press release.
WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS NOW LINKED TO CANCER PROTECTION IN WOMEN, MAJOR NEW STUDY REVEALS
This was also the first and only antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) to achieve such a result for endometrial cancer patients in this setting, the researchers stated.
An ADC is a targeted cancer therapy that delivers more of the drug to tumor cells while limiting damage to healthy cells.
The investigational drug, sac-TMT, is administered every two weeks via IV infusion. (iStock)
The trial involved 776 patients with endometrial cancer whose disease worsened after receiving both platinum chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
The patients were randomly assigned sac-TMT, administered every two weeks, or a treatment of the physician’s choice, including doxorubin or paclitaxel chemotherapy. The patients were aware of which treatment they were receiving.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Those receiving sac-TMT showed “clinically meaningful improvement” in their disease state compared to the treatment of physician’s choice, the researchers found.
The study also met response rate benchmarks and exhibited similar side effects to earlier studies of the same drug, Merck reported.
NEW BREAST CANCER DRUG WINS FDA APPROVAL AFTER SLASHING PROGRESSION RISK BY NEARLY 40%
The drugmaker did not disclose any statistics on exact survival benefit, response rate, side effect rates or other details, but the researchers aim to present this Phase 3 data at an upcoming medical meeting.
The drug “may be able to address a critical unmet need for certain patients with advanced endometrial cancer,” said the lead researcher (not pictured). (iStock)
Dr. Domenica Lorusso, the study’s global lead investigator and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Humanitas University and Humanitas San Pio X in Milan, wrote in a press release that these results show sac-TMT “may be able to address a critical unmet need for certain patients with advanced endometrial cancer, one of the only cancers increasing in both incidence and mortality worldwide.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“Despite recent advances, patients whose disease progresses following treatment with platinum and immunotherapy are urgently in need of new options, and these findings show for the first time that a TROP2 ADC may be an effective option in this setting,” she added.
Dr. Brian Slomovitz, co-director of gynecologic oncology at Mount Sinai and an investigator on this trial, reflected on the study findings during an interview with Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Unlike many other cancers that we are treating, the number of endometrial cancers and the number of deaths due to endometrial cancers are on the rise,” Slomovitz noted.
“In the United States, the number of deaths due to endometrial cancer has surpassed the number of deaths due to ovarian cancer, [making it] the deadliest of all gynecologic malignancies.”
Endometrial cancer has become “the deadliest of all gynecologic malignancies,” one doctor shared. (iStock)
Despite recent advancements introducing immunotherapy as the standard of care, “better treatment options” for patients with recurrent disease “remains an unmet need,” Slomovitz commented.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“If the full data confirm this announcement, the key questions will be the magnitude of the survival benefit and the toxicity profile — those will define sac-TMT’s role,” he said.
“But an overall survival improvement in recurrent disease is a real, meaningful result for patients and their families, not just a statistical one.”
WHO issues WARNING after DEADLY ebola outbreak
The CDC is coordinating the ‘safe withdrawal’ of at least six Americans exposed to a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo after the WHO declared a global health emergency.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency as a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa sparks concern that the deadly virus could spread beyond the region — including into the United States.
The outbreak has been linked to dozens of suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda.
Ebola is a zoonotic, viral disease that is rare but life-threatening, according to Cleveland Clinic. Outbreaks typically develop in areas of Africa, starting in species like antelope, fruit bats and nonhuman primates.
WHO HEAD ‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’ OVER ‘SCALE AND SPEED’ OF EBOLA SPREAD, SAYS EMERGENCY COMMITTEE WILL MEET
There are four different Ebola strains, also known as orthoebolaviruses. Bundibugyo virus is the strain that has been detected in the DRC outbreak.
While the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, U.S. officials are warning Americans not to visit the area, escalating the State Department travel advisory from a Level 3 to Level 4 on Sunday.
A visitor washes his hands at a checkpoint before entering Kyeshero Hospital in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 18, 2026, as part of Ebola prevention measures following a reported case in the city. (Jospin Mwisha/AFP)
One American tested positive for Ebola on May 17 while working in Congo and is being transported to Germany for treatment with other Americans who are high-risk contacts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of May 18, there have been 11 confirmed and 336 suspected cases, including 88 deaths in the DRC.
US ISSUES URGENT TRAVEL WARNING AS DEADLY EBOLA OUTBREAK SPREADS OVERSEAS
“This is a rapidly evolving situation, and case counts are subject to change,” the CDC noted.
While no cases have been detected in the U.S., there is a possibility that it could make its way into American territory, posing a threat to public health.
“This virus is transmitted only person-to-person via infected blood and body fluids from symptomatic people.”
Dr. Jacob Glanville, a leading immunologist at Centivax in San Francisco, which is developing a universal flu vaccine, spoke with Fox News Digital about the potential spread of Ebola into the U.S.
The doctor noted that the virus has a two- to 21-day incubation period, during which an infected person can show no symptoms and the infection cannot be detected by tests.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“It is thus possible for Ebola to move across international borders silently, bypassing screening,” he said.
“Some travel restrictions from the affected area have been put in place to limit this risk, although as this outbreak was spreading silently for months, it is possible that an infected traveler had come to the U.S. in the past 21 days from the affected areas prior to the travel restrictions.”
A visitor washes his hands at a checkpoint outside Kyeshero Hospital in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 18, 2026, as part of Ebola prevention measures following the first reported case in the city. (Jospin Mwisha/AFP)
Glanville noted that while the outbreak is “growing rapidly,” one week ago there were fewer than 500 global cases.
“Thus, the chance of an infected traveler having come to the U.S. remains quite low for the time being,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, agreed that the threat to American communities remains low.
“The viruses that cause Ebola pose a very small risk, even to travelers to areas with outbreaks,” the Arkansas-based expert told Fox News Digital. “This virus is transmitted only person-to-person via infected blood and body fluids from symptomatic people, and rarely from infected animals.”
Those who believe they have been exposed to Ebola should seek medical attention immediately, experts advise. (iStock)
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or remains of infected people or animals, including fluids such as saliva and sweat, according to Hopkins.
Cleveland Clinic notes that it is “very unlikely” for Ebola to be an airborne infection.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The virus starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting/diarrhea and loss of appetite. Other signs may include a rash or spots of blood under the skin, hiccups, bruising and red, bloodshot eyes.
As the disease is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever, it causes damage to the blood vessels and can lead to more serious symptoms, including severe bleeding or hemorrhaging, neurological disorders and severe vomiting.
Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo, on July 16, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
For those who have traveled to the outbreak area, Hopkins recommends monitoring for symptoms for three weeks after departing and seeking immediate care if symptoms develop.
Treatments are available, along with a vaccine that can help protect high-risk individuals and prevent further spread, according to healthcare professionals.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Avoiding contact with blood, body fluids, and sick or deceased people and animals is “highly effective in the prevention of Ebola transmission,” Hopkins advised.
“If contact is required, high-quality personal protective equipment is recommended before contact with potentially infectious people and/or materials,” he added.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
-
Wyoming2 minutes agoWyoming’s Free Fishing Day brings events for kids across state on June 6
-
Crypto8 minutes agoEU Reconsiders MiCA Regulation as Crypto Evolves | PYMNTS.com
-
Finance14 minutes agoAlberta’s finance, hospital ministers stepping down, won’t seek re-election
-
Fitness20 minutes agoWhy The Heart Exercise ‘Sweet Spot’ May Be 560 Minutes Weekly, Not 150
-
Movie Reviews32 minutes ago
Movie Review: Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ is a wild, surrealist social satire
-
World44 minutes agoAthlos, Ohanian’s Women-Only Track Meet, to Expand to London
-
News50 minutes agoRead the Indictment Against Raúl Castro
-
Politics56 minutes agoVideo: How Rubio Is Driving the U.S. Pressure Campaign on Cuba
