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In a groundbreaking study, scientists say they have found a direct outcomes of anxiety and stroke.
Researchers checked out a lot more than 6,000 people, 25-74 years of age, on the 22 year period and located that as anxiety levels increased, so did the danger for stroke. The findings were published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Stroke.
Study participants took psychological surveys, had medical exams and received blood tests to measure depression and anxiety levels. Researchers defined anxiety as being marked by worry, stress and nervousness.
Armed with this information, study leaders then tracked stroke statistics from hospitals and nursing home to make comparisons. They found that even modest anxiety levels were associated with greater risk for strokes.
Those using the highest levels of anxiety were built with a 33 percent increased risk for stroke as compared with those with the lowest anxiety levels.
“Everyone has some anxiety now and then. But when it’s elevated and/or chronic, it may impact your vasculature years down the road,” said study leader, Maya Lambiase, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Med school, in a news release.
The fact that people who have a problem with anxiety may be sedentary as well as smoke, might be contributing to the outcomes, researchers said. Additionally, stress induced high blood pressure could also be causing increased risk for stroke.
The news occurs the heels of another troubling report because the AHA reported earlier this year that heart disease and stroke remain the very best two killers of Americans annually.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death, with stroke holding fourth place as a leading cause of death. The report said that one individual dies every 40 seconds from stroke and heart disease with more than 75 % of the million people dying annually.
The AHA says the primary contributors to stroke and heart and vascular disease are smoking, high cholesterol levels, sedentary lifestyles, poor diet choices, hypertension, Diabetes type 2 and obesity.
