Hundreds of thousands of younger adults are facing sudden heart-related illnesses due to a new condition called “post-pandemic stress disorder” or “PPSD,” experts are now warning.
In the UK alone, as many as three million people across the country have already been impacted by PPSD, Mark Rayner, a former senior NHS official and founder of EASE Wellbeing CIC, warns.
Accoridng to Rayner, those aged between 30 to 45 are most at-risk.
Due to PPSD, experts believe Britain will suffer a 5 percent rise in cardiovascular diseases nationally.
Rayner said he fears this could result in a dramatic rise in physical health issues, such as coronary heart failure, if cases are not urgently treated.
“PPSD is a very real problem on a massive scale. As well as the condition itself with all its immediate problems, one of the biggest collateral issues is the effect it can have on heart health,” Mr. Rayner said.
“It is widely recognized that reducing stress and mental health problems is crucial to the prevention and recovery of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.”
“We are talking about as many as 300,000 new patients with heart issues.”
Mr. Rayner warned that without at least doubling the current funding, the NHS will not be able to tackle the “trauma timebomb”, which could have potentially fatal consequences for those suffering from long-term PPSD, according to The London Standard.
Meanwhile, Tahir Hussain, a senior vascular surgeon at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, said he has seen a significant rise in cases where he works.
“I’ve seen a big increase in thrombotic-related vascular conditions in my practice,” he said.
“Far younger patients are being admitted and requiring surgical and medical intervention than prior to the pandemic.
“I believe many of these cases are a direct result of the increased stress and anxiety levels caused from the effects of PPSD.
“We also have evidence that some patients have died at home from conditions such as pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction.
“I believe this is related to many people self-isolating at home with no contact with the outside world and dying without getting the help they needed.”
PPSD is a mental health condition induced by the pandemic.
While it is not yet officially recognized, many experts believe it should be.
Mr. Rayner added: “Everyone has heard of PTSD but we really urgently need to get our heads around PPSD.
“The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns it’s brought have had a massive effect on the mental health of the whole nation.”
Research suggests that patients with symptoms of depression are at 64 percent greater risk of developing coronary artery disease and 59 percent more likely to have a future adverse cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or cardiac death.
Heart and circulatory diseases account for a quarter of all deaths in the UK – equating to more than 160,000 deaths each year.
Figures show there are around 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK.
As Slay News previously reported, researchers are also blaming the “cold weather” on the recent spike in heart attacks.
