Intervention Can Reduce Heart Risks for Those with Mental Illness

Past research has shown that individuals with serious mental illness have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. In a recent study that involved 132 adults with serious mental illness, researchers found that when a counselor and nurse guided participants to engage in a healthier lifestyle (stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise, etc.), their risk for heart attack or stroke fell by nearly 13% in the next decade. JAMA Network Open, June 2020