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Health anxiety might increase the risk of heart disease, research finds.
In the United States, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting 40 millionadults, or 18 percent of the population.
Anxiety is a known risk factor for heart disease. Previous research indicates a connection between depression and anxiety and the risk ofcoronary heart disease.
A meta-analysis found that anxious people have a 48 percent higher risk of dying from a heart problem.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), killing 365,000 people in 2014.
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