Moscow, Mar 13 (IANS): Men take note. If you are experiencing vital exhaustion then you are more likely to have a heart attack, says a new study.

The study indicated that the risk of a myocardial infarction linked with exhaustion was particularly pronounced in never married, divorced and widowed men.

"Vital exhaustion refers to excessive fatigue, feelings of demoralisation and increased irritability," said researcher Dmitriy Panov from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation.

"It is thought to be a response to intractable problems in people's lives, particularly when they are unable to adapt to prolonged exposure to psychological stressors," Panov added.

For the study, presented at ESC Acute CardioVascular Care 2021, the team examined the relationship between vital exhaustion and the risk of myocardial infarction in 657 men with no history of cardiovascular disease.

Participants were classified according to their level of vital exhaustion: none, moderate, or high. Participants were followed-up for 14 years for the incidence of heart attack.

Overall, two-thirds (67 per cent) of the men had vital exhaustion (15 per cent had a high level and 52 per cent had a moderate level) while 33 per cent were unaffected. Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of men with high blood pressure had vital exhaustion -- high in 58 per cent and moderate in 16 per cent.

In the overall group of men, the researchers analysed the association between vital exhaustion at baseline and the risk of having a heart attack. Compared to those without vital exhaustion, men with moderate or high levels had a 2.7-fold greater risk of a heart attack within five years, a 2.25 higher risk within 10 years, and a 2.1 raised risk within 14 years.

When the analysis was controlled for social factors (education, occupation, and marital status) and age, the influence of vital exhaustion on heart attack risk decreased but remained statistically significant.