Anxiety as a risk factor in cardiovascular disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The narrative review covers recent studies of anxiety as a companion in cardiovascular disease.

RECENT FINDINGS: Prospective population-based studies and studies of cases with known cardiovascular disease have been conducted, as well as studies of intervention with coronary bypass grafting, heart transplants, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, and subsequent rehabilitation programs. Mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI) stands for this emerging research arena.

SUMMARY: Anxiety has emerged as perhaps the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, determining other known risk factors, such as depression, substance use, overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle. Anxiety also increases the risk of major cardiac events in coronary heart disease. There is a need for elucidating the influence of anxiety in takotsubo and in white-coat hypertension. Managing anxiety is of vital importance in patients who have received heart transplants, to ascertain adherence to immunosuppressants.