Does anxiety make your blood pressure go up


What is the link between anxiety and high blood pressure?

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December 5, 2019

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Anxiety and high blood pressure can sometimes go hand in hand. Anxiety may lead to high blood pressure, and high blood pressure may trigger feelings of anxiety.

Doctors characterize anxiety as feelings of intense worry or fear. It causes many physical symptoms, including increased heart rate and shallow breathing. Periods of anxiety may also temporarily increase blood pressure.

Meanwhile, having long-term high blood pressure — which doctors refer to as hypertension — can cause people to feel anxious about their health and future.

Keep reading to learn more about the link between anxiety and high blood pressure, as well as how to treat both conditions.

Anxiety causes the release of stress hormones in the body. These hormones trigger an increase in the heart rate and a narrowing of the blood vessels. Both of these changes cause blood pressure to rise, sometimes dramatically.

Doctors believe that anxiety is the reason behind white coat hypertension — a phenomenon in which some individuals consistently have higher blood pressure readings at the doctor’s office than at home.

Anxiety-induced increases in blood pressure are temporary and will subside once the anxiety lessens. Regularly having high levels of anxiety, however, can cause damage to the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels, in the same way that long-term hypertension can.

A 2015 review of existing research indicates that people who have intense anxiety are more at risk of hypertension than those with lower levels of anxiety. As a result, the researchers conclude that the early detection and treatment of anxiety are particularly important in people with hypertension.

Living with an anxiety disorder, whereby anxiety occurs every day and interferes with daily life, can also increase the likelihood of behaviors that contribute to hypertension. Examples include:

  • alcohol use
  • lack of exercise
  • poor diet
  • tobacco use

One study reports a link between anxiety and unhealthful lifestyle behaviors — including physical inactivity, smoking, and poor diet — in people at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hypertension is one of the most significant risk factors for CVD.

Additionally, some medications for anxiety can increase blood pressure.

Having high blood pressure can trigger feelings of anxiety in some people. Those whom doctors diagnose with hypertension may worry about their health and their future.

Sometimes, the symptoms of hypertension, which include headaches, blurred vision, and shortness of breath, can be enough to cause panic or anxiety.

Occasionally, anxiety works in the opposite way, causing a reduction in blood pressure.

This drop may occur because, during periods of intense anxiety, some people take very shallow breaths. The blood vessels then become wider, reducing blood pressure.

A 2011 study identified an association between the symptoms of anxiety and depression and a decrease in blood pressure, especially in people who have experienced a high level of anxiety symptoms over a prolonged period of decades.

This relationship also seems to work in both directions as low blood pressure, or hypotension, may sometimes cause anxiety and panic. Its symptoms can be similar to those of anxiety and include:

  • blurred vision
  • dizziness
  • fainting
  • nausea
  • lightheadedness

Learn more about fluctuating blood pressure here.

When symptoms occur, it can be difficult to distinguish between anxiety and changes in blood pressure.

Individuals should keep in mind that hypertension does not typically cause symptoms unless it is exceptionally high. If this is the case, emergency treatment is necessary.

Low blood pressure is more likely to cause symptoms, and these are often quite similar to the symptoms of anxiety.

People who are experiencing severe or recurrent symptoms should see their doctor. A doctor will be able to diagnose the underlying cause of the symptoms and can prescribe treatments for both anxiety and hypertension, if necessary.

There are several treatment options for anxiety. Most people require a combination of treatments.

Medication

Several medicines can relieve the symptoms of anxiety. Different types of medication will work for different people. Options include:

  • buspirone, an anti-anxiety drug
  • certain antidepressants
  • benzodiazepines, which are a type of sedative medication for short-term anxiety relief
  • beta-blockers, which doctors use to treat hypertension

Psychotherapy

Working with a psychotherapist can often help people manage their anxiety symptoms.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one method that a psychotherapist is likely to try. CBT teaches people to change their thinking patterns to help them reduce anxious thoughts and worries.

Once individuals have learned techniques to manage their anxiety, they gradually expose themselves to situations that trigger the anxiety. In this manner, they become less fearful about these situations.

Lifestyle changes

Making simple changes can go a long way toward reducing the symptoms of anxiety. Examples include:

  • practicing deep breathing techniques or progressive muscle relaxation
  • meditating
  • exercising regularly
  • getting enough sleep
  • eating a healthful diet and limiting caffeine intake
  • avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs
  • reducing stressors at home, work, and school, where possible
  • facing up to problems rather than avoiding them
  • replacing negative thoughts with more positive or realistic ones

Read about natural remedies for anxiety here.

Most people with hypertension will benefit from making lifestyle changes. Some people will also need medication.

Lifestyle changes

Doctors often recommend one or more of the following:

  • eating a healthful diet and limiting salt intake
  • avoiding tobacco and recreational drugs
  • limiting alcohol intake
  • exercising regularly
  • achieving or maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI)

Learn about 15 natural ways to lower blood pressure here.

Medication

There are several types of medication for treating high blood pressure. These include:

  • diuretics (water pills)
  • calcium channel blockers
  • angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  • angiotensin II receptor blockers
  • aldosterone antagonists
  • renin inhibitors
  • vasodilators
  • alpha-blockers
  • alpha-beta-blockers
  • beta-blockers

The type of medication that a person needs will depend on several factors, including their general health and the severity of their hypertension. Some people may need more than one type of medication to keep their blood pressure under control.

Individuals who think that they may have anxiety, hypertension, or both should speak to a doctor. Those who have severe symptoms should seek immediate care as the symptoms could indicate a medical emergency.

Symptoms to look out for include:

Both hypertension and anxiety are highly treatable conditions. A person with anxiety will not necessarily develop hypertension.

However, seeking help as early as possible can improve the outcome for people with either condition and reduce the risk of complications.

There is a link between anxiety and high blood pressure. Sometimes, a person with anxiety will develop hypertension, especially if they regularly experience intense anxiety.

Other people may develop anxiety as a result of having high blood pressure.

Treatment for one condition can often improve the other. Individuals who suspect that they have one or both conditions should see their doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Can Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure?

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders affect more than 40 million adults every year in the United States. Anxiety can cause a wide range of physical symptoms, including an increase in blood pressure levels.

Although anxiety isn’t linked to chronic high blood pressure, both short-term and chronic anxiety may cause your blood pressure to spike.

In this article, we’ll explore the link between anxiety and high blood pressure and treatment options for both.

Fortunately, anxiety doesn’t cause chronic high blood pressure. However, it can lead to a short-term increase in blood pressure.

When you begin to feel anxious because of a stressful situation, your body enters fight-or-flight mode. This happens due to the activation of your sympathetic nervous system. During fight-or-flight mode, your adrenaline and cortisol levels rise, both of which can lead to an increase in blood pressure.

Although stress and anxiety can cause high blood pressure, it’s only temporary, and levels generally return to normal once you’ve calmed down again.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a chronic condition that occurs when blood pressure levels are elevated. Chronic high blood pressure can be quite dangerous and can cause significant damage to the body, especially the brain, heart, kidneys, and eyes.

Hypertension is classified into two categories:

  • Primary hypertension. This type of hypertension develops in the absence of a specific trigger and is the most common type of hypertension. Primary hypertension is often thought to develop due to genetic, environmental, or lifestyle causes.
  • Secondary hypertension. The cause of this type of hypertension is generally known and is often another underlying condition. Secondary hypertension is often caused by conditions that affect the kidneys, heart, or thyroid.

Interestingly, anxiety can also cause a type of high blood pressure commonly called white coat hypertension. This type happens when your blood pressure is typically normal but spikes in a medical setting, such as a doctor’s office, due to medical anxiety.

Anxiety is a natural response to a perceived threat and is something that all of us experience from time to time. When you feel anxious and your fight-or-flight response is activated, you may experience:

  • nervousness
  • restlessness
  • panic or dread
  • rapid heart rate
  • sweating
  • difficulty breathing
  • chest pain
  • hyperventilation
  • shaking or trembling
  • muscle twitches
  • chills or hot flashes
  • numbness or tingling
  • weakness or fatigue
  • nausea or vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • poor concentration
  • depersonalization or derealization

In some people, chronic anxiety is due to an underlying anxiety disorder rather than just environmental causes. Anxiety disorders include:

  • generalized anxiety
  • panic disorder
  • specific phobias
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Just like anxiety can cause temporary high blood pressure, high blood pressure can sometimes cause anxiety.

For example, some symptoms of high blood pressure mimic those caused by anxiety, such as:

  • shortness of breath
  • dizziness
  • chest pain
  • changes in vision

Experiencing these symptoms or any other symptoms of high blood pressure can lead to an increase in anxiety.

In addition, having a chronic condition like high blood pressure can cause depression and anxiety. In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that people who have chronic illnesses are more likely to experience mental health conditions, such as anxiety.

One 2018 study found that up to 51 percent of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension may have anxiety and panic disorders, with many of these individuals going untreated for these conditiƒwas ons.

If you have frequent episodes of high blood pressure that are caused by anxiety, treating the underlying anxiety disorder can help bring your blood pressure back down to healthier levels.

Treatment options that may help include:

Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard treatment for most anxiety disorders. CBT techniques can help address and change problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to anxiety.

Research has shown that CBT can be as effective as medication in treating anxiety disorders.

Other treatment approaches can also be considered, depending on the type and severity of the anxiety disorder. For example, exposure therapy is effective for treating specific phobias, while trauma-focused therapy and interactive therapy such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be helpful for conditions like PTSD.

Medications

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed medications for anxiety disorders. SSRIs work by increase the uptake of serotonin in the brain, which can reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

According to the research, SSRIs are most effective when combined with psychotherapy.

In some cases, benzodiazepines may be prescribed to provide short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. However, they’re highly addictive and are generally prescribed for short-term use only.

Other

While psychotherapy and medications are effective methods for treating anxiety disorders, lifestyle changes are also important.

Make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and moving your body physically. Relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and massage can also help.

Things you can do to feel less anxious

Whether you have an anxiety disorder or not, everyone can benefit from reducing their daily anxiety levels. Here are some changes that you can make in your daily life to lower your anxiety levels:

  • Get enough sleep. Sleep is very important for overall health, and getting enough sleep can make a huge difference in daily anxiety levels. Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, so make sure to aim for this.
  • Eat a balanced diet. Eating nutritious foods can help support both your physical and mental well-being. Aim to fill your plate with whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, whenever possible.
  • Move your body. Moving your body is important, whether that involves weight training at the gym or taking a walk around the block. Daily exercise and movement can help increase your endorphins and lower stress levels.
  • Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your awareness to the present moment, which is incredibly important when you have anxiety. Meditation is a great mindfulness practice to reduce daily stress and anxiety.

Medications used to treat anxiety can help reduce overall anxiety levels, which can reduce blood pressure spikes. However, some anxiety treatment options may also cause an increase in blood pressure levels.

One meta-analysis from 2017 investigated the impact of SSRIs and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) on blood pressure levels. Data from over 13,000 participants was analyzed, and the researchers found that while SSRIs didn’t have any significant impact on blood pressure, SNRIs caused a slight increase in blood pressure levels.

If you have high blood pressure and have recently started taking medication for anxiety, keep track of any changes in your blood pressure levels. This can help your doctor determine if adjustments need to be made to any of your medications.

Treatment for high blood pressure generally involves making a handful of dietary and lifestyle changes. This includes increasing physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting sodium, and increasing intake of whole foods.

If dietary and lifestyle changes aren’t enough to lower your blood pressure naturally, certain medications may be prescribed, such as:

  • beta-blockers (which are also prescribed to reduce symptoms of anxiety)
  • diuretics
  • ACE inhibitors
  • angiotensin II receptor blockers
  • calcium channel blockers
  • alpha-2 agonists

Generally, if you have high blood pressure and it’s causing an increase in your anxiety, treating the high blood pressure can help to reduce your anxiety symptoms.

Although anxiety can’t cause chronic hypertension, there’s a definite connection between anxiety and blood pressure. Anxiety leads to a natural increase in blood pressure due to the fight-or-flight response, and high blood pressure can sometimes also lead to an increase in anxiety.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety or high blood pressure that are impacting your daily life, talk with your doctor about which treatments may work for you.

The role of anxiety disorders in hypertension and the possibility of their correction | #03/07

In recent years, more and more evidence has been accumulating that anxiety and some other psychopathological conditions are independent risk factors for the development of arterial hypertension (AH) and should be considered in conjunction with recognized risk factors [7]. These pathologies increase morbidity and mortality from hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD) [2]. Anxiety disorder should be detected and treated in a timely manner, as it worsens the prognosis of somatic pathology [1]. The importance of anxiety disorder in cardiology is confirmed by the results of a prospective 32-year study conducted in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [7], which showed that with increased anxiety, the probability of fatal myocardial infarction increases by 1.9times, sudden death - 4.5 times. At the same time, social epidemiological studies using objective methods conducted at the State Research Center for Preventive Medicine showed that the population experienced an increase in the level of psychological stress. It was found that about 70% of the country's population lives in conditions of chronic high- and medium-level psychosocial stress [3].

In this regard, special attention is paid to the study of the role of anxiety in the development of hypertension, one of the main risk factors for coronary artery disease. It is known that hypertension is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases affecting, in particular, 25–35% of the Russian population. Assumptions that affective disorders, most often anxiety and depression, occupy an important place in the development and course of hypertension, were expressed at the beginning of the last century. Currently, work on the study of the relationship between hypertension and affective disorders is carried out in two directions.

On the one hand, the results of large studies have been published demonstrating the relationship between symptoms of anxiety or depression and the development of hypertension, on the other hand, hypertension is considered as a psychosomatic disease, in the treatment of which psychotropic drugs play a very important role [4].

According to the literature, the prevalence of neurotic and somatoform disorders with anxiety symptoms in patients with hypertension can reach 51.3% [2, 5]. However, the number of studies is limited, and there are no clear recommendations for the management of such patients. It is known that comorbid anxiety-depressive disorders, like hypertension, in themselves lead to a significant decrease in working capacity, while they aggravate the course of a somatic disease, contribute to the formation of a hypochondriacal type of internal disease [7]. In this regard, it seems very interesting and important to determine the possibility of the effect of complex therapy with antihypertensive drugs and a “daytime” anxiolytic on the course of hypertension in patients with anxiety.

Anxiolytic therapy significantly improves the quality of life of patients with cardiovascular diseases, contributes to their better compensation in the process of somatotropic therapy, and further adaptation to the disease. Tranquilizers are the most adequate, effective and safe drugs for the relief of adaptation disorders in cardiac patients [2, 3]. However, patients often avoid taking benzodiazepines, fearing the development of addiction symptoms, unpleasant side effects in the form of lethargy, muscle weakness, and impaired attention. Elderly patients often fear the development of coordination disorders in them due to the fear of falling, the appearance of instability.

Taking into account the noted problems, in recent years there has been an increasing need for drugs with a tranquilizing effect of the non-benzodiazepine series. These drugs include Tenoten.

The drug Tenoten is an ultra-low dose (ULD) to the brain-specific protein S100. The mechanisms of action of anti-S100 SMD in anxiety states are probably associated with a modification of the functional activity of the endogenous S100 protein and its ligands. As a result, its GABA-mimetic effect is realized, restoration of GABAergic neurotransmission. The clinical effect in this case is manifested by facilitating falling asleep, reducing behavioral manifestations of anxiety, improving memory, and reducing asthenia.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of combined treatment with antihypertensive drugs and the anti-anxiety drug Tenoten in patients with hypertension. The duration of the study is 4 weeks.

The study involved 60 patients with hypertension aged 61.41 ± 6.91 years (from 38 to 77 years). Patients were divided randomly into two groups (main and control) of 30 people. There were 18 men and 12 women in the main group, 19 in the comparison group. men and 11 women.

AH in the main group with a moderate course (II degree) was observed in 60% of patients, with a severe course (III degree) - in 40%; in the comparison group, there were 66.6% of patients with a moderate course, and 33.4% with a severe course. The average duration of AH disease was 10.61 ± 4.1 years (from 3 to 20 years).

Of great importance in the course of hypertension is a family history, lifestyle, risk factors and comorbidities.

Persons with symptomatic hypertension and complicated forms of hypertension were excluded from the study.

In the comparison group, patients received only antihypertensive therapy - ACE inhibitors, β-blockers, diuretics (Enap, Hypothiazid, Acridilol, Arifon). Patients of the main group received combined treatment with antihypertensive drugs in combination with Tenoten, which was prescribed according to the scheme: 6 tablets per day for the first 2 weeks, and then 1 tablet 3 times a day.

Treatment was prescribed for a month. Monitoring in dynamics was carried out at the beginning of the study, after 2 and 4 weeks of therapy.

The personal anxiety scale (J. Teylor) was used to assess the mental status, which is designed to measure the level of anxiety (adapted by T. A. Nemchininov).

The questionnaire consists of 50 statements. Evaluation of the results of the study is carried out by counting the number of responses of the subject, indicating anxiety; the total score is:

40-50 points - an indicator of a very high level of anxiety;

20-40 points - high level of anxiety;

15-20 points - average level of anxiety with a tendency to high;

5-15 points - average level of anxiety with a tendency to low;

0-5 points - low level of anxiety.

A study of the mental status of patients in both groups revealed anxiety symptoms of varying severity in a significant proportion of patients. The number of patients with an initial high level of anxiety was 40% in the main group and 43% in the comparison group. The number of patients with an initial average level of anxiety with a tendency to high was 60% in the main group and 56.6% in the comparison group.

Research results

By the end of the study, the high level of anxiety decreased in the main group by 39.39% and reached the average level of anxiety with a tendency to low, and in the comparison group, the level of anxiety decreased only by 3.6%.

In patients of the main group who took Tenoten, a clear decrease in the level of anxiety was noted already after 2 weeks and by the end of the month it reached significance in comparison with the group of patients who received standard antihypertensive therapy. The relief of affective disorders was accompanied by a decrease in complaints of anxiety, feelings of helplessness, self-doubt, a sense of threatening danger, poor sleep ( tab. 1 ).

The demonstrated differences in the dynamics of anxiety indicators in the studied groups of patients confirmed the possibility of effective correction of these disorders in patients with AH with Tenoten. However, it was extremely interesting to assess whether this therapy and the severity of associated anxiety disorders affect the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy in general.

A decrease in the values ​​of maximum systolic and diastolic pressure occurred in both studied groups. By the end of the month of treatment, the decrease in blood pressure (BP) reached a statistically significant significance. In the main group of patients who additionally took Tenoten, systolic blood pressure (BP) decreased by 24.28% - almost to the age norm, in the comparison group there was a decrease by 16.48%, i.e. there was some excess of normal values. The decrease in diastolic pressure by the end of the 4th week in the main group (by 17.7%) and in the comparison group (by 5.9%) was also significant ( tab. 2 , 3 ).

The addition of Tenoten to the complex therapy in patients with high and moderate levels of anxiety made it possible to achieve a much more pronounced improvement in blood pressure. Against the background of therapy with Tenoten, a more rapid effect of antihypertensive drugs is observed - after 2 weeks of combined administration of the drug in patients of the main group, blood pressure decreased to the target level, in contrast to the comparison group, where it remained above the target.

Conclusion

The results of our study show that all patients with hypertension have anxiety symptoms of varying severity, which aggravate the course of the disease, contributing to higher levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The inclusion of the modern "daytime" anxiolytic Tenoten in the complex therapy of patients with hypertension increases the effectiveness of the treatment, reduces the level of anxiety, which contributes to a more rapid onset of the hypotensive effect. Tenoten is well tolerated by patients, does not cause orthostatic hypotension and any other undesirable side effects.

Literature

  1. Avedisova AS Anxiety disorders // Yu. A. Alexandrovsky. Mental disorders in general medical practice and their treatment. M.: GEOTAR-MED, 2004. S. 66–73.
  2. Kopina OS, Suslova SF, Zaikin ER Population studies of psychosocial stress as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases// Cardiology. 1996. No. 36 (3). pp. 53–56.
  3. Sudakov KV Emotional stress and arterial hypertension. M.: VNIIMI, 1976.
  4. Chazov EI Ischemic heart disease and the possibility of improving the effectiveness of its treatment// Clinical trials of drugs in Russia. 2001. No. 1. S. 2–4.
  5. Kawachi I., Sparrow D., Vokonas P. S., Wess S. T. Symptoms of anxiety and risk of coronary heart disease. The Normative Aging Study. circulation. 1994; 90, 5: 2225–2229.
  6. Lavie C., Milani R. Prevalence of anxiety in coronary patients with improvement following cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training. Am J Cardiol. 2004; 93:336–339.
  7. Sonas B. S., Franks P., Ingram D. D. Are symptoms of anxiety and depression risk factor for hyprtension? Longitudinal evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Arch. fam. Vtd. 1997; 6:43–9.


I. N. Nikolskaya , doctor of medical sciences, professor
I. A. Guseva , candidate of medical sciences, associate professor
E. V. Bliznevskaya , Ph.D. NSMU, Medical Unit No. 25, Novosibirsk

Anxiety and hypertension. Vicious circle

Authors: S.N. Enikolopov, PhD, Mental Health Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow

03/27/2015

An alarm condition occurs when a certain stimulus perceived as carrying elements of danger, threat, harm. Experience Anxiety is inherent in any person in appropriate situations.

For more than a decade, psychotherapists and cardiologists have been discussing the problem of increased levels of anxiety in patients suffering from hypertension disease. Negative emotional state affects the course hypertension, the effectiveness of its treatment, the quality of life of patients.
The causes of anxiety are diverse and can lie in any area. vital activity. Among the objective causes of concern, one can single out extreme conditions that place high demands on the human psyche, and as well as situations associated with the uncertainty of their outcome. Anxiety disorders are detected in 45-80% of patients with an established diagnosis of hypertension.
Despite the fact that anxiety is often viewed as an unfavorable state associated with experiencing stress, it plays a positive role and how an indicator of trouble in the external environment and the inner world of a person, and how a factor that mobilizes the reserves of the psyche and prepares the body for action.
Anxiety disorders are manifested by mental and somatic symptoms. The most characteristic mental manifestations are anxiety, restlessness little things, a feeling of tension and stiffness. somatic disorders (that there are manifestations from the internal organs) are primarily due to increased activity of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (heart palpitations and, as a result, an increase in blood pressure (BP), sensation of a "coma" in the throat, a feeling of lack of air, the appearance of pain in the chest and stomach, nausea, diarrhea). A combination of mental and physical symptoms by chance - when there is a potential threat or the body is already in danger, prepares to fight or flee.
Unjustified concern for one's health prevails. Patients present complaints of a variety of unpleasant sensations in the body, constantly overestimate the severity of their condition, do not trust medical opinions and recommendations. There is a clear discrepancy between the number of complaints and the true deterioration health, as well as excessive attention to their health. Patient without if necessary, re-measures blood pressure, seeks to examine the state of blood vessels brain, fundus, often turns to doctors of various specialties and healers. At the same time, patients with depression often interpret negatively doctor's recommendations.
Depression is the second most common mental disorder in hypertension. syndrome. In this case, the feeling of anxiety is aggravated, sleep is disturbed. Developing vicious circle: prolonged anxiety and depression provoke a persistent increase in blood pressure, and the presence of this symptom, in turn, exacerbates the anxiety disorder. The combination of anxiety and depression is observed in 70% of patients. These two states common neurochemical roots - a violation of serotonin metabolism.
Numerous studies show that the normalization of psychological conditions in people with hypertension, to a large extent reduces the response of the cardiovascular system to stressful situations. Timely detection and correction of these disorders can achieve faster results. therapeutic effect in patients suffering from rises in blood pressure.
Given the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in patients with hypertension, successful treatment of this disease includes not only lowering blood pressure, but also normalization of the mental state. In recent years, in the treatment of anxiety disorders are increasingly used antidepressants. As shown by numerous studies, the use of classical antidepressants (amitriptyline, imipramine, clomipramine) has a pronounced and prolonged clinical Effect. However, such treatment is associated with great difficulties. Need taking the drug for a long period (from six months to longer) can lead to such undesirable consequences as weakening concentration and slow reaction times. This has a negative effect in the social and professional spheres of human life and determines the high the risk of non-compliance by patients with the prescribed treatment regimen up to refusal taking medications. As a result, antidepressants are used either deliberately ineffective doses, or short courses, which invariably leads to low therapeutic effect and the likelihood of recurrence of anxiety disorders.
At present, drugs of the selective group are very often used. serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Most preferred for applications are drugs of balanced action, which include paroxetine. Many years of experience with this drug has shown its high anti-anxiety activity even in cases of frequent and intense panic attacks. It has been clinically proven that long-term use of paroxetine does not lead to a significant change in the social activity of patients and does not requires professional restrictions. Paroxetine can be combined with the use of antihypertensive, vascular, cardiological, antidiabetic and other means, often necessary for patients for health reasons. Wherein it has not been shown to cause addiction or dependence.
Thus, effective treatment of hypertension does not involve only a decrease in blood pressure to target levels, but in some cases, therapy anxiety disorders and depression, which are often associated with hypertension.

Article published in the magazine "Easy Heart", July - September, 2006.

  • Number:
  • No. 22 November - General therapeutic number

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