2026 ECNP Congress

PS03-3258

Psychosocial and behavioural risk factors of cardiovascular disease: a cross-sectional study

Paulina Dmuchovskė — V. Steiblienė · Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania

2026 ECNP Congress

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. In addition to established risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, obesity, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, psychosocial factors including sexual or physical abuse, personality traits, anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms may also be relevant to cardiovascular health [2], [3], [4], [5].

Aims

To evaluate psychosocial and behavioural risk factors in adults aged ≥40 years with diagnosed CVD.

Methods

A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among 420 adults aged ≥40 years. Overall, 47.6% of respondents (mean age 57.1±9.7 years; 82.5% female, 17.5% male) reported a diagnosis of CVD, including arterial hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias or conduction disorders, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and other conditions. Assessed factors included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, smoking, alcohol use, history of physical and sexual abuse, Big Five personality dimensions, anxiety symptoms (GAD-7) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, group comparisons and multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Compared with those without CVD, participants with CVD were older (57.1 vs 50.7 years), had lower educational attainment, and were more often retired or unemployed and without a partner. Sex and place of residence did not differ significantly. Smoking prevalence was similar, although smoking duration was longer in the CVD group (27.2 vs 20.0 years, p=0.010). Alcohol abstinence was more common among participants with CVD (55.0% vs 32.3%, p<0.001). Lifetime sexual abuse was more frequent in the CVD group (18.5% vs 10.9%, p=0.027), particularly sexual abuse before the age of 13 years (13.5% vs 5.5%, p=0.005), whereas physical abuse and physical injuries did not differ significantly. Personality trait dimensions and anxiety measures, including total scores, symptom categories and clinically significant anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 ≥8), were not significantly different. Although total depressive symptom scores did not differ significantly, moderate, severe and very severe depressive symptoms were more common in the CVD group (p=0.036), as were clinically significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥10; p=0.003). In multivariable analysis, older age (OR=1.082, 95% CI 1.055–1.111, p<0.001), alcohol use (OR=0.485, 95% CI 0.315–0.747, p=0.001), sexual abuse before the age of 13 years (OR=2.397, 95% CI 1.100–5.224, p=0.028) and clinically significant depressive symptoms (OR=1.861, 95% CI 1.006–3.444, p=0.048) were independently associated with CVD. Agreeableness showed a non-significant trend towards lower odds of CVD (OR=0.956, 95% CI 0.911–1.004, p=0.070).

Conclusions

Cardiovascular disease in adults aged ≥40 years is associated not only with age but also with psychosocial and behavioural factors. Early-life adversity, particularly sexual abuse before the age of 13 years, and clinically significant depressive symptoms were independently associated with higher odds of CVD. Alcohol use showed an inverse association with CVD, which should be interpreted cautiously due to the cross-sectional design and potential confounding factors. These findings highlight the importance of a biopsychosocial approach in CVD prevention and management, including the assessment of mental health and early-life trauma.

References

  1. World Health Organization, 2025. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds). [Accessed: 4 May 2026].
  2. Chen, Y., Shan, Y., Lin, K., Wei, Y., Kim, H., Koenen, K.C., et al., 2023. Association between child abuse and risk of adult coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am. J. Prev. Med. 65 (1), 143–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.02.028.
  3. Agvall, B., Miao Jonasson, J., 2025. The association between personality traits and myocardial infarction- a European cross-sectional study. J. Psychosom. Res. 189, 112019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.112019.
  4. Emdin, C.A., Odutayo, A., Wong, C.X., Tran, J., Hsiao, A.J., Hunn, B.H.M., 2016. Meta-analysis of anxiety as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Cardiol. 118 (4), 511–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2016.05.041.
  5. Krittanawong, C., Maitra, N.S., Qadeer, Y.K., Wang, Z., Fogg, S., Storch, E.A., et al., 2023. Association of depression and cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Med. 136 (9), 881–895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.04.036.