If you're a postmenopausal woman, and you've had at least one panic attack, research suggests you have a greater risk for developing coronary heart disease or stroke. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that women who reported panic attacks in the prior six months had a four times greater risk of cardiovascular events over a period of five years -- compared to women who had not had panic attacks.
The work appears in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of fear or anxiety that are associated with physical symptoms including heart racing, palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, abdominal distress and fears of losing control. Dr. Malissa Wood says in a news release that “we know that patients who experience panic attacks are much more likely to suffer from chronic anxiety and depression — both of which raise the stress hormones in the body and contribute to raising blood pressure, weight gain, and unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking and overeating.”
It's not clear that the panic attacks are directly linked to the cardiovascular risks -- but it certainly won't hurt women to put a little more calm in their days.
News about the study from the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center.
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