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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Are panic attacks associated with heart diseases?

    Related Topic
    Panic Attacks
    I know that anxiety can increase the risk of heart diseases… is this the same with panic disorder?
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    Thanks

    Dr Paul McQueen

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterised by acute episodes of overwhelming anxiety. There had been some research showing increased incidence of heart disease in people with panic disorder. However, the increase is small and there are many ways those findings could be interpreted. It was also found that the risk of death from heart disease was lower among people with panic disorder. The reason for this relationship is also not yet clear.

    The symptoms of a panic attack have a lot of similarities to symptoms of a heart attack. This often leads people who are experiencing a panic attack to worry they are dying - creating additional anxiety and prolonging the panic symptoms.

    There is no evidence that a panic attack itself is in any way harmful to a person's health. However, it is always advisable to have appropriate investigations by your GP to rule out a heart condition before making a diagnosis of panic disorder, since the symptoms can be similar. Once panic is confirmed, there is no reason to worry about it causing any kind of health problem.

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