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Chronic Anxiety Can Increase Risk Of Heart Attack in Men, Study Says
WASHINGTON -- Researchers reported that chronic anxiety can
significantly increase the risk of a heart attack, at least in men.
The findings add another trait to a growing list of psychological profiles
linked to heart disease, including anger or hostility, Type A behavior, and
depression.
"There's a connection between the heart and head," said Dr. Nieca
Goldberg of the New York University School of Medicine, a spokeswoman for the
American Heart Association who wasn't involved in the study.
"This is very important research because we really are focused very much
on prescribing medicine for cholesterol and lowering blood pressure and treating
diabetes, but we don't look at the psychological aspect of a patient's
care," she added. Doctors "need to be aggressive about not only taking
care of the traditional risk factors .. but also really getting into their
patients' heads."
The research was published Monday by the Journal of the American College of
Cardiology.
Everybody's anxious every now and then. At issue here is not the
understandable sweaty palms before a big speech or nervousness at a party, but
longstanding anxiety -- people who are socially withdrawn, fearful, chronic
worriers. It's a glass-half-empty personality.
"Although the behavior is quite different ... if you look at the
physiological response of these people, they're quite similar," Shen said.
"All have raised blood pressure, heart rate, they produce more stress
hormones."
So, would treating anxiety lower the risk? No one knows, cautioned NYU's
Goldberg. That's why these personality traits are considered "markers"
for heart disease, not outright "risk factors" like cholesterol or
blood pressure.
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