title: Coexisting anxiety disorders alter associations with physical disorders in the elderly: A Taiwan cross-sectional nationwide study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used population-based analyses to explore whether anxiety disorders are associated with certain physical illnesses, as previous studies have suggested, and whether a greater number of comorbid anxiety disorders would influence physical illnesses in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the National Health Insurance Research Database, we included subjects aged over 60 years. The study included 954 subjects with anxiety disorders (as defined by the ICD-9-CM) and 4770 control subjects without anxiety disorders. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for the risks of physical illnesses in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with anxiety disorders had higher OR for cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.33-2.80), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 2.07), peptic ulcer (OR = 3.41), and hyperlipidemia (OR = 2.99). Furthermore, a greater number of comorbid anxiety disorders may further increase the OR of the aforementioned physical illnesses, except for peripheral vascular disorder, when compared to those without anxiety disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly subjects with more anxiety disorders may be associated with vascular and metabolic problems. Clinicians should carefully assess the physical illnesses of elderly patients with anxiety disorders.
authors: Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan.
authors: Wei Hung
authors: WH
authors: Chang
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Wei Tseng
authors: WT
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.|Addiction Research Center, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan.
authors: I Hui
authors: IH
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.|Addiction Research Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Po See
authors: PS
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.|Addiction Research Center, Tainan, Taiwan.|Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan.
authors: Yen Kuang
authors: YK
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.|Addiction Research Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors: Kao Chin
authors: KC
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: anxiety disorder; cardiovascular disorder; comorbidity; elderly; physical illnesses