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Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anxiety/AN01086
- With Mayo Clinic emeritus hypertension specialist
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Sheldon Sheps, M.D.
Dr. Sheldon Sheps, emeritus professor of medicine and former chair of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1960.
Dr. Sheps, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in hypertension and peripheral vascular diseases. He developed a multidisciplinary approach with specially trained nurses, dietitians, technicians and educators to help form a team approach to the treatment of patients with abnormal blood pressure.
"I have always believed in involving the patient and family in their health care," Dr. Sheps says. "I have asked for their understanding of the illness and issues and for participation in decisions. The Web is a natural extension of that, and now many more people can be informed."
Dr. Sheps chaired the sixth working group, and he participated in the fourth, fifth and seventh groups that developed the then-latest guidelines for hypertension under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). He helped write the latest American Heart Association (AHA) report on blood pressure measurement. He chaired an AHA group that produced an online accreditation for blood pressure measurement for health professionals.
Dr. Sheps has co-authored books, newsletters, CD-ROMs and other Mayo Clinic health information material. He joined Mayo Clinic's Web team in 1998. He was medical editor-in-chief of both editions of the "Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure" book; the last edition was published in 2003. He was also medical editor-in-chief of "Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure," published in 2008.
In addition, Dr. Sheps was section editor for each of the first three editions of "Hypertension Primer" for the American Heart Association.
Dr. Sheps was also chairman of the Science Base Subcommittee and the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and he was a consultant to the Hypertension Initiative of the World Health Organization. In 1997, he was honored with the Individual Achievement Award on the 25th anniversary of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program of NHLBI. In 2009, he was honored as a Distinguished Mayo Alumnus.
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Question
Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
Can anxiety cause high blood pressure?
Answer
from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in your blood pressure.
If those temporary episodes occur frequently, such as every day, they can cause damage to your blood vessels, heart and kidneys, as can chronic high blood pressure. In addition, when you have anxiety you're more likely to resort to other unhealthy habits that can increase your blood pressure, such as:
- Smoking
- Drinking alcoholic beverages
- Overeating
Some medications to treat anxiety, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also can increase your blood pressure.
If you have trouble controlling your anxiety or if anxiety interferes with daily activities, talk to your doctor or a mental health provider to find an appropriate treatment.
Next questionSleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
- Wei TM, et al. Anxiety symptoms in patients with hypertension: A community-based study. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. 2006;36:315.
- Stress and high blood pressure. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3057643. Accessed Feb. 4, 2011.
- Hildrum B, et al. Effect of anxiety and depression on blood pressure: 11-year longitudinal population study. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2008;193:108.
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