This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Study suggests ‘worried well’ more at risk of heart-disease
Research published in the BMJ has suggested that being one of the ‘worried well’ or those who worry about their health, could increase the risk of heart-disease.
The research examined health anxiety levels in 7,000 people over a span of 10 years.
Health anxiety is when a person has a ‘persistent preoccupation’ with having or acquiring a serious illness, and seeking prompt medical advice, without any symptoms of an actual disease.
The participants completed questionnaires about health, lifestyle, and education and had blood tests, and their weight, height, and blood pressure measured regularly between 1997 and 1999. They also measured their anxiety via the Whiteley Index, a recognised scale which is used to assess anxiety levels.
Of the 7,000, 234 (3.3 per cent) had a heart attack or bout of acute angina during the monitoring period.
Even after known risk factors were taken into account, the proportion of those succumbing to heart disease (just over six per cent) was more than twice as high among the 710 considered to have health anxiety.
Dr Line Iden Berge, who led the research, said: "[Our research] further indicates that characteristic behaviour among persons with health anxiety, such as monitoring and frequent check-ups of symptoms, does not reduce the risk of [coronary heart disease] events.
"These findings illustrate the dilemma for clinicians between reassuring the patient that current physical symptoms of anxiety do not represent heart disease, contrasted against the emerging knowledge on how anxiety, over time, may be causally associated with increased risk of [coronary artery disease]."
Emily Reeve, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, commented: "It's natural for people to worry if they feel they might be unwell. But anxiety and stress can trigger unhealthy habits, such as smoking or eating badly, which put you at greater risk of heart disease.
"While we don't know if the 'worried well' are directly putting themselves at risk of a heart attack, it's clear that reducing unnecessary anxiety can have health benefits.
"If you are experiencing health anxiety, speak to your doctor.
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