Low-level anxiety ‘can raise death risk by 20%’

Published on 01/08/2012 00:00

LOW-level stress can raise the risk of fatal heart attacks and stroke by 20 per cent, scientists have warned.

Symptoms of anxiety or depression, known as psychological distress, increases mortality rates from several major causes, according to new research.

But, alarmingly, the risk rose among those at the lower end of the scale who would not usually come to the attention of mental health services – about a quarter of people.

Dr Tom Russ, of Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We found psychological distress was a risk factor for death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and external causes – the greater the distress, the higher the risk.

“However, even people with low distress scores were at an increased risk of death. Currently these people – a quarter of the adult population – are unlikely to come to the attention of mental health services and may not be receiving treatment.”

Previous studies have been unable to reliably measure thresholds of risk. So the researchers analysed data from more than 68,000 over- 35s who took part in the Health Survey for England from 1994 to 2004 and measured the role of anxiety and stress in deaths from all causes over eight years.

Psychological distress was calculated using a scale ranging from no symptoms to severe.

Dr Russ said: “If you score one, two or three on this scale you may be suffering some form of social dysfunction, but your GP will not diagnose you with psychological distress.

“But the risk of death among this group from cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and stroke, and external factors such as accidents, rose by an average of a fifth.”

The study is published online in the British Medical Journal.