People who have high anxiety levels may be more likely to suffer a stroke than relaxed individuals.
A recent study marks the first solid correlation between anxiety and stroke that is unrelated to factors such as depression, an American Heart Association news release reported.
The 22-year-long study looked at a group of 6,019 people between the ages of 25 and 74. The participants were tested through a number of methods including medical examinations, blood tests and psychological questionnaires; these tests allowed the researchers to test the participants' anxiety levels.
The research team also tracked the participants' stroke incidents through official records such as hospital records and death certificates.
After the two-decade-long study concluded, the researchers determined even mild levels of anxiety could increase stroke risk. People in the"highest third" of anxiety levels were found to have a 33 percent higher chance of suffering a stroke than people with the lowest levels.
Anxiety disorders are one of the "most prevalent mental health problem," the news release reported. Symptoms of anxiety problems can include feelings of nervousness, stress, or worry.
"Everyone has some anxiety now and then. But when it's elevated and/or chronic, it may have an effect on your vasculature years down the road," Maya Lambiase, Ph.D., study author and cardiovascular behavioral medicine researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in Pittsburgh, Penn, said.
The link between stroke and anxiety levels could be related to the fact that anxious people are more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and inactivity.
Higher levels of the hormone released during stress can also lead to elevated heart rate or blood pressure.
Past studies have also found a link between depression and stoke. Depression comes with a lot of the same symptoms as anxiety, such as the tendency to be inactive.
