Early respiratory disease linked to later anxiety
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Respiratory illness in early childhood is associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorders in adulthood, study findings suggest.
Dr. Renee D. Goodwin, of Columbia University, New York, and colleagues reviewed the medical histories, and assessed rates of anxiety and depression, in 720 adults who were an average of 33 years old.
Forty-six of the study subjects experienced any respiratory disease at age 1 year and 97 had either suspect or definite respiratory disease at age 7 years. Overall, 79 subjects (7.4 percent) met the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder and 80 (7.5 percent) reported receiving treatment for anxiety at age 34. Moreover, 250 subjects (23.5 percent) met the criteria for depression and 150 (14.1 percent) reported receiving treatment for depression.
According to Goodwin and colleagues, a higher respiratory disease rate at 4 months of age was associated with a greater than twofold increased risk of receiving treatment for anxiety by 34 years of age. Having had respiratory disease at 1 year of age was associated with almost a threefold increased likelihood of being treated for anxiety.
Having respiratory disease at both 1 year and 7 years of age was associated with nearly a 20-fold increased risk of receiving treatment for anxiety.
Respiratory disease was not associated with mood disorders.
The mechanism for the association between respiratory disease in childhood and anxiety in adulthood is not known. "One possibility is that a suboptimal immune system may predate the onset of both respiratory disease and mental disorders," the investigators point out.
"It could also be that some combination of environmental and genetic risk factors leads to the co-occurrence of respiratory disease and anxiety disorders," they note.
All in all, they conclude, the findings "may have implications for prevention or early intervention with groups at high risk for anxiety disorders."
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, August 2008.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Respiratory illness in early childhood is associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorders in adulthood, study findings suggest.
Dr. Renee D. Goodwin, of Columbia University, New York, and colleagues reviewed the medical histories, and assessed rates of anxiety and depression, in 720 adults who were an average of 33 years old.
Forty-six of the study subjects experienced any respiratory disease at age 1 year and 97 had either suspect or definite respiratory disease at age 7 years. Overall, 79 subjects (7.4 percent) met the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder and 80 (7.5 percent) reported receiving treatment for anxiety at age 34. Moreover, 250 subjects (23.5 percent) met the criteria for depression and 150 (14.1 percent) reported receiving treatment for depression.
According to Goodwin and colleagues, a higher respiratory disease rate at 4 months of age was associated with a greater than twofold increased risk of receiving treatment for anxiety by 34 years of age. Having had respiratory disease at 1 year of age was associated with almost a threefold increased likelihood of being treated for anxiety.
Having respiratory disease at both 1 year and 7 years of age was associated with nearly a 20-fold increased risk of receiving treatment for anxiety.
Respiratory disease was not associated with mood disorders.
The mechanism for the association between respiratory disease in childhood and anxiety in adulthood is not known. "One possibility is that a suboptimal immune system may predate the onset of both respiratory disease and mental disorders," the investigators point out.
"It could also be that some combination of environmental and genetic risk factors leads to the co-occurrence of respiratory disease and anxiety disorders," they note.
All in all, they conclude, the findings "may have implications for prevention or early intervention with groups at high risk for anxiety disorders."
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, August 2008.
