Anxiety Disorders and Cardiovascular Disease Determinants in a Population Sample

Objective: Epidemiological research can assist with clinical practice and service planning, and can also help to generate hypotheses about disease etiology. The objective of this epidemiological study was to facilitate these goals by determining the distribution of anxiety disorders in sub-regions within a larger health region and a set of disease risk factors. Methods: Sampling and data collection occurred by telephone in a Canadian health region in Alberta of approximately one million people. The telephone survey included 6,578 participants and covered 3 anxiety disorders: panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia. Results: Regional prevalence differences were not identified. However, associations between anxiety disorders and excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol were found. Conclusions: Integration of mental health services with other health promotion and prevention activities may be an efficient strategy for clinical practice and public health. A better understanding of the connections between anxiety disorders and chronic disease risk factors should be a goal of future research.