Relationship between anxiety, stress, depression and hypertension in Mosul city

Abstract

High blood pressure is a common disease in industrial and third world societies reach epidemic properties. People suffering from either depression or anxiety were two to three times more likely than the others to develop hypertension. The relationship between these negative emotions and hypertension are of a considerable public health importance. Despite the high prevalence of the two diseases has received little attention, this paper review this relationship. So the aim of the present study was to examine the role of anxiety, stress and depression symptomatology in the development of hypertension in Mosul city population by case-control study. The survey was carried out at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) conducted from September 2006 to February 2007 among patients 25-65 years of age. During the study period, a total of 250 subjects, 125 cases and 125 controls, were approached. Of whom, 100 cases and 100 controls responded to the questionnaire, for a response rate of 80%. Hypertension was defined according to WHO criteria as systolic blood pressure more than 140 mmHg andor diastolic blood pressure more than 90 mmHg. This study includes a questionnaire based on face to face interview of anxiety, stress and depression symptoms. The present study showed that sex, diabetes, obesity(BMI more than 30), physical inactivity, genetic factor, smoking habits, anxiety, stress and depression can be considered as risk factors for hypertension as discovered using multivariate analysis. Furthermore, the study suggests there is a positive correlation between hypertension and psychiatric disorders, anxiety, stress and depression