Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Hypertension: A Community-Based Study

Abstract

Objectives:

To investigate incidence and severity of anxiety symptoms in patients with hypertension.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey in 891 (432 females) hypertensive patients was conducted in a regional community. All patients were interviewed and detailed physical examination was performed. Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) was used to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms.

Results:

Anxiety was diagnosed on clinical grounds in 103 patients (11.6%) who also had a raw SAS score of more than 40. In all subjects surveyed, the average SAS score in females was higher than males (32.9 ± 7.1 vs 31.2 ± 6.4, p < 0.001). The average SAS score was also higher in patients with hypertension of more than 3 years (32.4 ± 7.0 vs 31.2 ± 6.1, p = 0.01), in patients with severe hypertension (39.8 ± 6.9 vs 29.6 ± 4.5, p < 0.001), and in patients with a history of hospitalization for cardiovascular disorders (35.7 ±7.7 vs 31.7 ±6.6, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that female gender, duration of hypertension, and hospitalization history were independent predictors of anxiety symptoms (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Almost 12% of hypertensive patients have anxiety symptoms. Female gender, the duration of hypertension, and the history of hospitalization are associated with the occurrence and severity of anxiety symptoms in patients with hypertension.