Keep reading to learn more about the link between anxiety and high blood pressure, as well as how to treat both conditions. Anxiety causes the release of stress hormones in the body. These hormones trigger an increase in the heart rate and a narrowing of the blood vessels.
Both of these changes cause blood pressure to rise, sometimes dramatically. Anxiety-induced increases in blood pressure are temporary and will subside once the anxiety lessens.
Regularly having high levels of anxiety, however, can cause damage to the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels, in the same way that long-term hypertension can.
A review of existing research indicates that people who have intense anxiety are more at risk of hypertension than those with lower levels of anxiety. As a result, the researchers conclude that the early detection and treatment of anxiety are particularly important in people with hypertension. Living with an anxiety disorder, whereby anxiety occurs every day and interferes with daily life, can also increase the likelihood of behaviors that contribute to hypertension. Examples include:.
One study reports a link between anxiety and unhealthful lifestyle behaviors — including physical inactivity, smoking, and poor diet — in people at risk of cardiovascular disease CVD. Hypertension is one of the most significant risk factors for CVD.
Having high blood pressure can trigger feelings of anxiety in some people. Those whom doctors diagnose with hypertension may worry about their health and their future. Sometimes, the symptoms of hypertension, which include headaches , blurred vision, and shortness of breath, can be enough to cause panic or anxiety.
This drop may occur because, during periods of intense anxiety, some people take very shallow breaths. The blood vessels then become wider, reducing blood pressure. A study identified an association between the symptoms of anxiety and depression and a decrease in blood pressure, especially in people who have experienced a high level of anxiety symptoms over a prolonged period of decades.
This relationship also seems to work in both directions as low blood pressure, or hypotension , may sometimes cause anxiety and panic.
Its symptoms can be similar to those of anxiety and include:. Learn more about fluctuating blood pressure here. When symptoms occur, it can be difficult to distinguish between anxiety and changes in blood pressure. Individuals should keep in mind that hypertension does not typically cause symptoms unless it is exceptionally high.
If this is the case, emergency treatment is necessary. Low blood pressure is more likely to cause symptoms, and these are often quite similar to the symptoms of anxiety. People who are experiencing severe or recurrent symptoms should see their doctor.
A doctor will be able to diagnose the underlying cause of the symptoms and can prescribe treatments for both anxiety and hypertension, if necessary.
There are several treatment options for anxiety. Most people require a combination of treatments. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed.
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Background Epidemiological studies have repeatedly investigated the association between anxiety and hypertension. Methods Seven common databases were searched for articles published up to November Conclusion Our results suggest that there is an association between anxiety and increased risk of hypertension.
Keywords: human, epidemiological association, anxiety disorder, hypertension, meta-analysis. Introduction Hypertension, one of the most common diseases worldwide, is estimated to affect one quarter of all adults, and has been identified as the leading cause of mortality and the third cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide.
Open in a separate window. Figure 1. Statistical analysis The research strategy has been described in previous studies. Table 1 Characteristics of cross-sectional studies in the meta-analysis. Table 2 Characteristics of prospective studies included in the meta-analysis. Cross-sectional studies of the association between anxiety and hypertension Thirteen cross-sectional studies including , subjects were included in the analysis of the association of anxiety with risk of hypertension. Figure 2.
Note: Weights are from random effects analysis. Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. Prospective studies of anxiety predicting hypertension risk Eight prospective studies investigated the association between the baseline anxiety status and incident hypertension with a total sample size of 80, and 2, hypertension case subjects.
Figure 3. Abbreviations: HR, hazards ratio; CI, confidence interval. Sources of heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis The strong heterogeneities between studies were found in both cross-sectional studies and prospective studies. Table 3 Subgroup analyses to explore source of heterogeneity. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis examining the association between anxiety and hypertension using data from both cross-sectional and prospective studies.
Conclusion It is important to explore the short-term and long-term effect of anxiety on hypertension. Footnotes Disclosure All authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work. References 1. World Health Organization Global health risks: mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. Global burden of hypertension: analysis of worldwide data.
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J Psychosom Res. The tricky thing is establishing an unambiguous cause-and-effect relationship between anxiety and high blood pressure, says Dr. James Brian Byrd, a hypertension specialist and assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. Ask someone to deliver an impromptu public speech, and their heart rate will almost surely shoot up, Byrd says. Still, the links between chronic anxiety and higher rates of hypertension and heart problems are worth taking seriously.
How can you tell if your anxiety is the type that could hurt your heart in the long run? That can be difficult. Doctors and clinicians tend to use lengthy questionnaires, such as the state-trait anxiety inventory STAI.
Celano offers more straightforward criteria.
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