Anxiety ‘can play a role in cardiac treatment outcomes’

Anxiety levels among cardiac treatment patients could be a potential predictor of outcomes, according to new research.

Scientists from the Montreal Heart Institute discovered during a sub-study in a recent atrial fibrillation and heart failure trial that varying levels of anxiety sensitivity are associated with changes in response rate to different methods of treatment.

The paper's lead author Dr Nancy Frasure-Smith explained that those with high anxiety sensitivity experience increased stress hormone levels, which in turn makes them more susceptible to fatal arrhythmias and worsening heart failure.

Although this factor has been previously identified as an issue affecting quality of life and the occurrence of panic attacks, it has not previously been considered as a potential method of gauging outcomes.

Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr Beth Abramson said: "While the study – a sub-analysis of a larger trial – is not definitive in itself, it does raise interesting questions."

The UK's Atrial Fibrillation Association estimates that the condition currently affects around 1.2 million people in the country.