Experts have recently found out that being anxious about your health may actually lead to a more adverse condition of developing heart disease. A study of 7,000 people over 12 years showed that those who worry about their health are around 70 percent more likely to develop heart disease as compared to those without that state of mind.
According to The Guardian, although anxiety has been a well-known risk factor when it comes to heart diseases, the Norwegian authors of the paper allegedly believes that this will be the first of its kind to particularly look at health anxiety. Experts claim that the said condition is primarily characterized by recurring episodes of preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness and seeking medical help, despite the absence of any physical disease.
Furthermore, the Norwegian study has also revealed that those fit and healthy people having the highest levels of health anxiety were the most prone to suffering from a fatal heart attack. Additionally, the study has emphasized that the stress levels and exaggerated attention that a hypochondriac puts on his body is really not healthy especially in the long terms.
On the other hand, as per Science World Report, experts have initially hypothesized that for people with this kind of anxiety are found to have a reduced risk of acquiring an illness because they are considered to take better care of themselves. However, the findings show that it would be advisable for these people to seek help and proper diagnosis for their anxiety disorder. It has reportedly been advised by heart experts that for anyone who feels they might have health anxiety, it is just but right for them to consult a doctor.
Emily Reeve, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation claimed that feeling worried about being unwell is a normal situation for a person. However, Reeve notes that too much anxiety and stress can only trigger unhealthy habits, such as smoking or eating badly, which puts a person at greater risk of heart disease.
