Anxiety May Lead to Heart Attack In Some Patients

A new study proves the very old theory that a person can actually worry themselves to death. People who have a general anxiety disorder and coronary heart disease are at an increased risk of having some type of cardiovascular event by as much as 74 percent.

The new Dutch study that reveals this information was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Elisabeth J. Martens of Tilburg University in the Netherlands and her colleagues conducted the study. They followed 1,015 patients who had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease over a five and a half year period. 106 of those patients had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Patients with an anxiety disorder had a yearly cardiovascular event rate of 9.6 percent. The 909 patients without anxiety had a cardiovascular event rate of 6.6 percent.

It is unclear as to why those with anxiety were more likely to suffer from some type of heart related problem, but researchers speculate people with anxiety are more likely to seek out medical help. That statement can go both ways, depending on the person and the anxiety. Some anxious people do not want the attention of a doctor and will avoid getting medical help when truly needed. This may lead to an untreated heart condition. Martens believes this information is important for doctors treating patients with cardiovascular disease. Doctors will need to manage both conditions simultaneously.

There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders that can lead to heart trouble. Anxiety disorders may are often treated with therapy or medication depending on the severity.