How anxiety and depression put you at higher risk of 29 physical illnesses, from heart disease to diabetes and osteoarthritis, according to major study
- People with anxiety and depression are at greater risk for 29 physical health conditions, including diseases and bacterial infections, a recent study suggests
- In turn, having a chronic disease can lead to depression and anxiety, underlining the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and prompt treatment and support
When my mother had a stroke, she did not have any of the usual risk factors – she was not obese, did not have high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), nor high cholesterol.
I asked her neurologist what the likely cause was. His answer: depression. “She sat too still for too long, a clot formed and caused her stroke,” he said.
I should not have been surprised. A recent and large study suggests people with depression and/or anxiety have a higher risk of developing one or more of 29 other health conditions.
Dr Philipp Frank of the University of London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, one of the study authors, says research that aims to understand the nature of the relationship between depression and physical illnesses has usually looked at it from two perspectives.
