Prevalence of respiratory disorders in first-degree relatives of panic disorder patients.
BACKGROUND
Panic Disorder (PD) patients often report a history of respiratory pathology, such as asthma. It is known that both PD and respiratory disorders, like asthma, run in families. A common diathesis for PD and some respiratory disorders may be present both in PD patients and their first-degree relatives. We examined whether the lifetime prevalence of respiratory disorders is higher in first-degree relatives of PD patients than in first-degree relatives of patients with other anxiety disorders.


METHODS
The lifetime history of respiratory pathology was assessed in 379 first-degree relatives of patients with an anxiety disorder by means of a questionnaire.


RESULTS
We found the first-degree relatives of PD patients to report more chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) in general (24.8%) and asthma (10.5%) in particular than the comparison group (13.2% and 3.3%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data rely on retrospective self-reports.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings are consistent with and extend previous studies suggesting a specific association between COPD, asthma in particular, and PD.
van Beek
Nicole
N
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Schruers
Koen R J
KR
Griez
Eric J L
EJ
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence