Physical Illness as an Outcome of Chronic Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

Background: The literature indicates increased rates of some medical conditions in patients with anxiety disorders. We used the Saskatchewan Health databases to examine the development of nonpsychiatric medical diseases in patients with anxiety disorders. This study has a large population base, and the Saskatchewan health plan does not limit the provision of services to this populaiton. Method: We observed the annual incidence of specified medical conditions in patients with anxiety disorders and in control subjects over a 10-year period. Subjects in both groups had not been treated for the specified medical conditions before the start of the observation period. Results: The anxiety cohort had a significantly higher relative risk of developing medical diseases compared with the control group. The highest relative risk, indicated by the hazard ratio, was for cerebrovascular disease (hazard ratio 2, 95% CI 1.09–3.65). Hazard ratios were significant for cerebrovascular disease and atherosclerosis as well as for ischemic heart, gastrointestinal, hypertensive, and respiratory diseases. Conclusions: This study provides additional evidence for an association between anxiety disorder and the later development of medical morbidity.