Can Panic Attacks Put You At Risk For Heart Attacks/Heart Disease?

[MarkyMark88]

I was doing some research on CBD oil and in an article they had a general run down of anxiety and panic attacks. The article went on to say that panic attacks can lead to heart attacks. So I did some more research and a bunch of articles came up claiming there is a link between panic disorder and heart attacks and heart disease. I was always under the impression that this was not true. Now, being a sufferer of health anxiety and panic disorder, I am not quite sure what to believe. I am going to bring this up to my therapist on Friday but I also wanted to get an idea of what the community thought.

[MyNameIsTerry]

They might have been talking about the impact of stress on blood pressure and how too much stress in general is bad. Anxiety being constant stress for many of us is going to be a factor more than someone stress free.

In the words of my GP when he diagnosed my Hypertension this year "less stress young man!"

Blood pressure can be be controlled though, a daily med keeps mine back in expected range and they aren't concerned.

There may also have been considering the issue of preexisting conditions. If you already have a breathing or heart problem, like the asthma I had until they recently decided it had abated after more than 35 years, having any attack of something that causes you breathing trouble has obvious possibilities. But again, we have our meds for that so it's perhaps more a concern for those with more severe complications.

With my asthma it would potentially be impacted by any cold/flu virus. I've have had plenty of courses of antibiotics and even steroids for that very reason since childhood.

[RadioGaGa]

In theory yes, as mynameisterry said, stress/anxiety could elevate blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular problems.

Although, as far as I'm aware, stress/anxiety isn't a criteria for doing a cardiovascular work up!