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People affected by severe nervousness and anxiety may be at significantly increased risk of heart disease and death, a new Swedish study has shown. A few years ago a survey of mental health in Australians showed a high prevalence of problems, many of which were not being treated. It was only a snapshot so it was hard to say whether things were getting worse, as many suspected. In Sweden they measure health statistics more than we do and they've noticed a doubling in the proportion of people who say their lives are affected by feelings of nervousness, uneasiness or anxiety. There's evidence that such people are more likely to develop heart disease, become depressed and be at risk of suicide. So Swedish researchers compared what people self reported with their chances of dying prematurely or developing heart disease, controlling for things like smoking, education level and pre-existing illness. The average age was 42 and those with severe nervousness and anxiety were nearly twice as likely to die over the next five years. The chances of needing psychiatric help were higher as was the rate of coronary heart disease in men. It applied to a lesser extent to those with milder self perceptions of anxiety related feelings. So anxiety can be pernicious and should be taken seriously. Why it's so risky for heart disease isn't known.
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