Heart disease caused by anxiety Hypochondria get faster heart attacks

Health fears lead to an increased likelihood of heart disease
Certainly nobody wishes to suffer from a serious illness. Hypochondriacs, however, often worry unnecessarily about many diseases. Researchers have now found that hypochondriacs are more likely to have a heart attack.

The scientists from the University of Bergen found in a recent study that so-called hypochondriac get more often due to their unnecessary worries heart disease. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "BMJ Open".

Can unfounded fears actually cause disease? Physicians found in an investigation that hypochondriac have a massively increased risk of some heart disease. (Image: pathdoc / fotolia.com)

What is hypochondria?
Hypochondria is a mental disorder. In this form of the disease sufferers suffer from very strong, unfounded fears of suffering from a serious illness, although there is no objective evidence for it.

Physicians examine more than 7,000 study participants
The current study examined more than 7,000 subjects born in Norway during the 1950s. Of these participants, a total of 234 people had a heart attack or a seizure of acute angina pectoris.

Hypochondria increases the likelihood of heart disease
"When people worry unnecessarily about their health (hypochondria), it increases the likelihood of developing heart disease by 73 percent, compared to people without such fears," say the experts. These results illustrate the dilemma of physicians and physicians. On the one hand, physicians should try to reassure their patients that current physical symptoms of anxiety do not lead to heart disease. On the other hand, there is now an increasing knowledge about the effects of fears, the researchers say. "This shows how fears are causally linked to an increased risk of coronary artery disease. The findings also highlight the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment of anxiety, "the researchers emphasize.

Constant monitoring does not reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
The characteristic behavior of persons with anxiety includes close monitoring and frequent review of alleged symptoms. However, such constant monitoring does not reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, the experts add.

Subjects had to complete questionnaires and undergo physical examinations
Participants in the study completed questionnaires about their health, lifestyle and education. In addition, a physical examination was carried out, which determined the blood pressure, the weight and the size of the subjects, the scientists explain. Additionally, blood samples were taken from the participants.

Health and fears of subjects were closely monitored
The physicians then monitored the health of the heart among the participants. For this they used the international data on hospital treatments for heart disease and death certificates. Anxiety was measured using a standardized scale called the Whitely Index, the authors explain.

Fears can harm your health
The study did not show the causal relationship between anxiety and heart disease, but that current thinking can really be harmful to health, the researchers emphasize. When people are worried about possible illnesses and their health, they can also suffer from other mental health problems such as depression. That could be the underlying problem for these people, the scientists speculate. (As)