title: Increased risk of hypertension in patients with anxiety disorders: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We designed this study to examine the prevalence and incidence of hypertension and risk factors in patients with anxiety disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Health Research Institute provided a database of 1,000,000 random subjects for study. We obtained a random sample of 766,427 subjects aged ≥18years in 2005. The differences in the prevalence of hypertension between patients with anxiety disorders and the general population in 2005 were tested by multiple logistic regression adjusted for other covariates, including age, sex, insurance amount, region, urbanicity and depression. The differences in the incidence of hypertension between patients with anxiety disorders and the general population according to age group and sex from 2006 to 2010 were tested by a Cox regression adjusted for the other covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of hypertension in patients with anxiety disorders was higher than that in the general population (37.9% vs. 12.4%, odds ratio, 2.61; 95% confidence interval, 2.52-2.70) in 2005. The average annual incidence of hypertension in patients with anxiety disorders from 2006 to 2010 was also higher than that in the general population (3.63% vs. 1.95%, risk ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-1.36). Compared with the general population, patients with anxiety disorders had a higher incidence of hypertension in all age and sex groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with anxiety disorders had a higher prevalence and a higher incidence of hypertension than that in the general population. Age, male sex, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were risk factors for hypertension in patients with anxiety disorders.
authors.affiliation: Taoyuan Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: En-Liang
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Tsaotun Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Nantou, Taiwan; Department of Public Health & Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: icchien@ttpc.mohw.gov.tw.
authors.forename: I-Chia
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Taichung Veteran General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Heng
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Anxiety disorders; Hypertension; Incidence; National Health Insurance; Prevalence; Taiwan