Anxiety disorders increase the risk of heart disease.

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

8 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that anxiety disorders increase the risk of heart disease?

Yes. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of ten studies (n=546,802) reports that anxiety disorders are independently associated with a 1.35-fold higher risk of incident coronary heart disease, and a Brazilian cohort study found generalized anxiety disorder associated with a 1.5-fold increase in CHD. Other reviews and studies describe anxiety as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, though several rely on proxy measures such as heart rate variability.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 8 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 8

Generalized anxiety disorder

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Generalized anxiety disorder. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalized_anxiety_disorder

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More for · 7

Anxiety Disorders

2020

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Kim, Y. (2020). Anxiety Disorders. play.google.com. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Sm_NDwAAQBAJ&source=gbs_api

Anxiety Disorders, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Risk: A Review

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Anxiety Disorders, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Risk: A Review. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.2190/pm.41.4.f

Abstract 4361293: Anxiety Disorder as an Independent Risk Factor for Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2025

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Yadav, S., Yadav, D., Yadav, M., Shah, N., Bhandari, K., Joshi, A., & Verrill, T. (2025). Abstract 4361293: Anxiety Disorder as an Independent Risk Factor for Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1161/circ.152.suppl_3.4361293

Anxiety Disorders are Associated with Reduced Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis

2014

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Chalmers, J., Quintana, D., Abbott, M. J., & Kemp, A. (2014). Anxiety Disorders are Associated with Reduced Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00080

Depression, Comorbid Anxiety Disorders, and Heart Rate Variability in Physically Healthy, Unmedicated Patients: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk

2012

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Kemp, A. H., Quintana, D. S., Felmingham, K. L., Matthews, S., & Jelinek, H. F. (2012). Depression, Comorbid Anxiety Disorders, and Heart Rate Variability in Physically Healthy, Unmedicated Patients: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030777

The association between mood and anxiety disorders, and coronary heart disease in Brazil: a cross-sectional analysis on the Brazilian longitudinal study of adult health (ELSA-Brasil)

2015

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Kemp, A., Brunoni, A., Nunes, M., Santos, I., Goulart, A., Ribeiro, A., Benseñor, I., & Lotufo, P. (2015). The association between mood and anxiety disorders, and coronary heart disease in Brazil: a cross-sectional analysis on the Brazilian longitudinal study of adult health (ELSA-Brasil). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00187

Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders

2009

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Otto, M. & Hofmann, S. (2009). Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders. play.google.com. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=FTE-asMf-6IC&source=gbs_api

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