The more anxious you are, the greater your risk for stroke, warns a large new study conducted over a 22-year period. The new research—the first to uncover a link between stroke and anxiety—suggests that anxious people may have an up to 33 percent greater risk of stroke compared to more easygoing folks.
Earlier research linked stroke risk with depression . However, the new study—published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke—found that anxiety is an independent risk factor. When researchers accounted for incidents of depression among the over 6,000 study participants, the connection between stroke and anxiety remained strong.
"Even modest increases in anxiety were linked to greater risk for stroke,” explains Maya Lambiase, Ph.D., co-author of the Stroke study. “Early assessment and treatment of anxiety symptoms is important. People should be aware of anxiety symptoms and seek treatment for symptoms that are elevated or last for long periods. Doing so has the potential to improve their overall quality of life, and it may also lower the risk of stroke later on."
Symptoms of Anxiety Raise Odds of Stroke
Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability and death in the United States. According to the American Heart Association’s latest statistical update, stroke strikes about 795,000 residents every year and an American dies of stroke about once every four minutes. African Americans are at particularly high risk.
In the new Stroke study, investigators examined data collected from participants in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Follow-up Studies. Participants underwent interviews, physical examinations, and blood tests.
To measure anxiety levels, researchers used a well-established psychological test that rates general wellbeing. Symptoms of anxiety include feeling unusually stressed, worried, tense, or nervous. Participants who reported symptoms of anxiety were more likely to have a stroke over an average follow-up period of roughly 16 years. In fact, for every statistically significant increase in anxiety levels, participants’ stroke risk jumped 17 percent.
Anxious participants were also more likely to smoke and be physically inactive—but this doesn’t fully account for the anxiety-stroke connection. Even after researchers adjusted for behavioral factors, the association between anxiety and stroke remained.
Anxiety May Also Endanger Your Heart
Feeling anxious may also be bad for your heart, according to a meta-analysis conducted by researchers from the Netherlands. In their review of twenty-one studies, they found evidence linking anxiety with coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiac mortality. Anxious people may be 26% more prone to CHD and 48% more likely to die from heart disease, compared to their more tranquil peers.
Anxiety among heart patients has also been linked with death by recent research lead by Lana Watkins, Ph.D., associate professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. Heart disease patients who reported symptoms of anxiety were twice as likely to die from any cause during three years’ follow-up, compared to patients without anxiety. Those who felt both anxious and depressed tripled their odds of dying.
Seven Simple Steps Towards Better Health
If you feel especially stressed, worried, tense, or nervous, speak with your doctor or a mental health professional about strategies to lower anxiety. To help thwart the threat of stroke and heart disease, the American Heart Association also encourages people to follow these simple steps:
- Get active. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like walking) five times per week, plus two sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises. Stay on track by choosing activities you enjoy and inviting friends or family to join you.
- Eat better. Nosh on a variety of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, high-fiber whole grains, and lean protein foods. Keep a food diary to track what you eat and develop healthier habits.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Make healthy food choices and exercise more to slim down. Avoid crash diets that are hard to maintain in the long run.
- Control cholesterol. Get your cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years, starting around age 20. If they are high, avoid saturated and trans fats, and eat a heart-healthy diet. You can also talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering drugs.
- Stop smoking. Rather than trying to quit on your own, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation programs and other support resources.
- Manage blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, take steps to achieve and maintain a healthy weight—even losing a few pounds may help. It’s also wise to get moving, manage stress, limit alcohol, and avoid tobacco. For some people, prescription medications may be appropriate.
- Reduce blood sugar. If you are overweight, have your blood glucose levels tested at least once every three years, starting around age 45 or earlier. If testing reveals high blood sugar, follow the same lifestyle behaviors advised for high blood pressure.
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