Mortality of Anxiety Syndromes in a Normal Population

Abstract

The mortality of anxiety syndromes between 1972 and 1992 was investigated in a prospective study of a normal population, the 1947 Lundby cohort. 121 persons with anxiety according to the Lundby definition (Anx), and 74 persons with panic disorder with/without agoraphobia (PD-Ag) according to the DSM-III-R, all of them developing their first episode between 1947 and 1972, were analyzed with regard to general mortality and special cause of death. Sex-and age-specific mortality rates for these groups were calculated and compared with the corresponding rates of the cohort’s 1,877 remaining subjects without first episodes of Anx/PD-Ag. In contrast to the females, the annual rates of general mortality in males with Anx/PD-Ag were 1.9/2.2 times higher in the age group 65-84 years, compared with the rates of the non-Anx/PD-Ag groups. They also had an increase in death due to circulatory disorders, most pronounced in males with PD-Ag before the age of 65. There were no suicides in any of the Anx/PD-Ag groups during the observation period.

Levels of anxiety and depression as predictors of mortality following myocardial infarction: A 5-year follow-up

“…The literature on anxiety and mortality is relatively sparse compared to that on depression. Previous studies have reported conflicting findings concerning the association between anxiety levels and mortality, which was reported as positive [12], absent [13,14], and negative [15]. Furthermore, we found lower mortality in participants with comorbid anxiety and depression compared to those with depression alone.…”

“…Scant studies have Seyed Hamzeh Hosseini et al, Anxiety and depression as predictors of MI mortality reported longer-term mortality data in MI patients; whereas one has found an association between an in-hospital depression and mortality 5 years later [10], the other has observed no association at 3-year follow-up [11]. Although symptoms of depression and anxiety overlap, little is known about how anxiety affects mortality, with reports of both positive and negative effects [12][13][14][15].…”

Relationship between anxiety and agitation in dementia

“…Anxiety in these patients has been found to be associated with high physical dependency and problems in the patient/carer relationship (Orrell & Bebbington, 1996). It negatively affects physical health leading to increased mortality rates (Grasbeck, Rorsman, Hagnell, & Isberg, 1996). A recent study (Schultz et al, 2004) found anxiety to be significantly associated with reduced functional status in performing activities of daily living, over and above the effects of cognitive decline.…”

Feelings of anxiety and associated variables in a very elderly population

“…Naturally, there is also the question of improving the wellbeing of the elderly person by adequate treatment, either pharmacological or with psychotherapy. An increased mortality in younger age groups, particularly in men, with anxiety disorders has also been reported (GraÈ sbeck et al, 1996). Data on this issue are lacking in the elderly.…”