Anxiety and Heart Disease
Abstract
Despite impressive gains made in the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD), it remains the number one cause of death and a major cause of disability among women and men in the United States. By the year 2020, CHD is projected to be the number one cause of death worldwide.(American Heart Association, 2002; Chockalingam et al., 2000; Reddy & Yusuf 1998) Coronary heart disease claims more lives each year than the next five causes of death combined.(American Heart Association, 2002) The effect of various demographic (e.g., age, gender) and clinical (e.g., presence of comorbidities) characteristics on development of cardiac events and on recovery has been well- studied.(Breithardt et al., 1995) These demographic and clinical characteristics are used commonly in clinical practice to determine patient risk for future events. Far less attention has been paid to the impact of psychological risk factors despite compelling evidence that they confer equal and, in some cases, greater risk than demographic or clinical risk factors.(Kubzansky & Kawachi, 2000; Kubzansky, Kawachi, Weiss, & Sparrow, 1998b; Rozanski, Blumenthal, & Kaplan, 1999a) Failure to understand and address psychological risk factors for CHE) events may be one reason that CHD morbidity and mortality remain so high. Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. (Kubzansky et al., 1998b) Given the prevalence of anxiety in the general population and in patients with CHD, the potential public health impact for preventing CHD development and progression is high if the nature of the relationship between anxiety and CHD is appreciated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA420275
Entities
People
- Debra K. Moser
- Marla J. De Jong
Organizations
- University of Kentucky