Personality traits such as anxiety and irritability have been linked with early signs of heart ageing.

Experts said the findings of a UK study show people at risk of developing mental health conditions could benefit from more support in an attempt to lower the likelihood of heart issues in the future.

To explore the link between mental health and heart function, a team led by Queen Mary University of London looked at heart scans from 36,309 UK Biobank participants.

Personality traits classed as "neuroticism" - such as unstable moods, excessive worrying, anxiety, irritability, self-consciousness, and sadness - were scored using a personality questionnaire.

Researchers found that a "greater tendency towards neuroticism personality traits" was linked to "smaller, poorer functioning ventricles with lower LV (left ventricular) mass, higher myocardial fibrosis, and higher arterial stiffness".

The link was found independent of the traditional risk factors for heart problems, such as smoking and obesity, and were "more robust" in men compared to women.

The team said the findings, published in European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, "highlight the link between mental health and cardiovascular health" and support strategies that promote mental wellbeing in the general population.

"We know there are important links between mental health and cardiovascular outcomes, and our study has uncovered that harmful changes to the heart are seen in people with neurotic personality traits such as anxiety, depression and excessive worrying," said Steffen Petersen, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London.

"Even when lifestyle factors, like smoking, weight and age, are taken into consideration, neurotic traits appear to be linked to signs of heart ageing."

Prof Petersen said his team would now aim to understand how these personality traits impact heart function and the risk of heart conditions in the long term.