Development of a cardiovascular disease prognostic model considering mental disorders

Project Summary

Mental disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis are linked to heart disease. In fact, some of these conditions have been linked to approximately twice the risk of heart disease, and related mortality. In clinical practice, primary care providers may use risk calculators to identify at risk patients for heart disease preventative care, and inform treatment plans. Unfortunately, the risk calculator recommended for clinical use in Canada does not capture mental disorder-associated heart disease risk, limiting its validity. This research project will develop a risk calculator that considers mental disorders (depression, anxiety, mood disorders), mental disorder related medication use, and considers the role of key sociodemographic factors. The novel calculator will improve heart disease prevention broadly, could increase patient life expectancy, and may reduce the burden of heart disease on the Canadian healthcare system.