Anxiety's Steep Toll on Your Heart

January 9, 2008 RSS Feed Print

It turns out that a chronic case of quiet anxiety may be as good a predictor of a coronary catastrophe as angry, hostile behavior is. Researchers analyzed the psychological tests, medical exams, and health habits of 735 men over 12 years and found as much as a 40 percent greater risk of heart attack in those with high scores on several anxiety scales. The higher their anxiety, the more likely a heart attack. Anxiety can be successfully treated with cognitive behavioral therapy.

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