title: Twelve-month prevalence and correlates of subthreshold and threshold anxiety in community-dwelling older adults with cardiovascular diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies that examined the prevalence of anxiety in older adults with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were mainly conducted in clinical settings limiting the generalizability of the results to community-based samples. Moreover, among older adults with CVD, little is known about the prevalence of subthreshold anxiety and about which characteristics differentiate those with subthreshold anxiety from those having an anxiety disorder. This study aimed at determining the 12-month prevalence rates of subthreshold and threshold anxiety in community-dwelling older adults with CVD as well as to examine whether older people with CVD reporting an anxiety disorder differ from their counterparts with subthreshold anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a representative sample of community-dwelling older adults aged 65years and older (N=2811), 613 cases of CVD were identified based on government medical records. Subthreshold and threshold anxiety were assessed using in-home interviews based on the DSM-IV criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 12-month prevalence rates of anxiety disorders and subthreshold anxiety were, respectively, 5.1 and 14.8%. Compared to older adults with CVD reporting no anxiety, individuals reporting subthreshold or threshold anxiety are more likely to be women, to have high blood pressure, and to suffer from a depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No information was gathered regarding alcohol and tobacco use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides evidence for the fact that subthreshold anxiety has a high prevalence among community-dwelling older people with CVD and that clinicians working with this population should screen for anxiety, even at a subthreshold level, since it may be associated with high blood pressure and depression.
authors: Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Canada. grenier.sebastien@uqam.ca
authors: Sébastien
authors: S
authors: Grenier
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Potvin
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Hudon
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Boyer
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Préville
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Desjardins
authors: Louis
authors: L
authors: Bherer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics