Panic disorder and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular problems: results from a community survey

Follow-up studies of psychiatric patients with panic disorder have shown an abnormally high mortality rate in men due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. The authors report that in the New Haven portion of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area program the risk for stroke in persons with lifetime diagnoses of panic disorder was over twice that in persons with other psychiatric disorders or no psychiatric disorder. After adjustments for demographic differences between groups, the risk was even higher. While the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the small sample and absence of medical examinations, these findings are consistent with clinical studies showing an association between panic disorder and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events.