Don't Worry About Having A Heart Attack -- Unless You Want To Give Yourself One

Chronic anxiety can "substantially" increase the risk of a heart attack.

Researchers at the University of Southern California are the first to show that ongoing anxiety is a heart attack risk factor in and of itself:

The investigators found that men who tested at the highest 15th percentile on any of the four anxiety scales, as well as on a scale combining all four, faced an increase in the risk of heart attack of approximately 30 to 40 percent. Those who were found to have even higher levels of anxiety on psychological testing faced an even higher risk of heart attack. This finding held true even after the findings were adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, health habits, and negative psychological and personality traits. (source)

And heart attacks aren't the only thing worriers suffer from. The Wall Street Journal's Melinda Beck recently wrote that they can have a constellation of health problems, including high blood pressure, depression, and headaches.

The USC researchers don't know whether reducing anxiety also reduces the risk of heart attack, but it seems likely. Techniques to control anxiety include therapy, medication, participating in a support group, a supportive family, stress management techniques, including meditation, and possibly exercise. While an individual's propensity to suffer from chronic anxiety has both genetic and environmental sources, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a Yale researcher, told Beck that "People can learn to stop these thought processes and have better emotional health."

Other mental health issues previously linked to increased risk of heart attack include "Type A" personality, excess anger and hostility, and depression. According to USC's Biing-Jiun Shen, physical risk factors include "(high) blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol, age, cigarette smoking, (and) blood sugar levels."

The new research appears in the January 15th issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. A summary is here.

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Other Sources:

US News on the study

the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders on generalized anxiety disorder

National Institutes of Mental Health on anxiety disorders