Anxiety Increases the Risk of Heart Attack
Most people have heard that stress is bad for the heart. Many people also know about the debilitating effects of anxiety and depression. But evidence is now emerging that these negative psychological factors appear to play a significant role in the risk of having a heart attack. People suffering from anxiety and depression have up to a 50% higher risk of developing heart disease according to two new studies conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in London, and professor Biing-Jiun Shen, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles.
Stress and Anxiety definition
Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or even anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. You may not know the source of this uneasiness, which can add to the distress you feel. Anxiety disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions that involve excessive anxiety.
Although stress has previously been linked with heart problems, the studies have shown that anxiety, especially heightened levels of anxiety, or chronic anxiety causes the increased risk of damage to the heart.
Anxiety tends to lead to poor lifestyle habits
However the poor health habits of those people suffering from anxiety appear to be the main causes of their increased risk of heart disease, according to the British research, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Two thirds of that increased risk are due to two specific factors which contribute to these statistics – smoking and a lack of exercise, as people suffering from anxiety and depression are more likely to smoke tobacco and lead an inactive lifestyle.
British Anxiety Study finds 50% increased risk of heart problems
The British study was Led by Dr. Mark Hamer, a senior researcher from University College London, and involved more than 6000 people who took part in an anxiety test designed to measure their general happiness or symptoms of depression and anxiety, whilst also being tested for common risk factors for heart disease. The survey found that around 15% of the participants were found to be suffering from stress, natural anxiety or depression.
The same people were then monitored for seven years, and statistics were gathered for the numbers of deaths and illnesses from heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and those requiring heart bypass surgery, plus other coronary-related illnesses.
During that period there were 223 cardiovascular events recorded including 63 deaths. After age and sex were taken into account, people with depression and anxiety faced more than a 50 percent increased risk when compared to happier people.
American Study broadly agrees with British Study findings
The American study led by lead researcher professor Shen, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles, has independently concluded that there is a link between anxiety and heart attack amongst otherwise healthy older men. This is despite the fact that the research took into account, and corrected for other risk factors such as anger, hostility, depression and type A personality factors, plus the standard cardiovascular risk factors and general health habits.
Shen’s study involved 735 men who took part in the ‘Normative Aging Study’ research, which assesses medical and psychological changes associated with aging. Each of the men were examined in 1986 and had no heart problems at the time. They were tracked for an average of 12 years, after which the researchers found that the men who had chronic anxiety had a 30 percent to 40 percent increased risk of heart attack. Those with the highest individual levels of anxiety according to psychological testing had an even higher risk of heart attack. These results broadly agree with the results of the British survey.
Evidence from studies indicates anxiety is independent risk factor for heart disease
The evidence from these studies indicates that anxiety not only represents an independent risk factor for heart attack but may also explain the associations between heart attack risk with other psychosocial risk factors. Exaggerated responses to acute and chronic stress in anxious individuals may trigger a number of different ways that increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease and being stricken with a heart attack. Highly anxious individuals should be aware they may face an increased risk of a heart attack and take proactive steps, under the supervision of a physician, to control their cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, blood cholesterol (lipid) levels, activity level and weight.
This research also implies that a wider approach to providing anxiety help in society is necessary, but also an approach to combat the unhealthy behaviours which occur as a result of people who slide into poor lifestyles as a result of their anxiety or depression.
Further studies are needed to assess benefits to heart health of anxiety disorder treatment
Further studies will be required to discover whether providing anxiety disorder treatment actually reduces the risk of heart attack, but the implication is that it is something that doctors should be aware of when their patients present themselves with symptoms of anxiety and depression, as anxiety treatments could reduce their risk of developing heart disease until a definitive anxiety cure is discovered.
