Recent research revealed that panic attacks increase the risk of heart attack. Research team led by Kate Walters, senior lecturer in primary care at University College London found that that people who were younger than 50 when first diagnosed had a significantly higher risk of subsequent heart attacks or myocardial infarctions (MI), but this was not the case in older people.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of almost 58,000 adults diagnosed with panic disorder/attacks and more than 347,000 adults without the condition. Data analysis showed that those aged under 50 years were more than a third as likely to have a heart attack and nearly half as likely to develop heart disease subsequently than people who had not been diagnosed with the condition.

The study indicated that the higher risk of heart attacks with panic attacks/disorder is mainly in younger people (aged under 50 years), and that having a panic attacks/disorder diagnosis is associated with a lower risk of dying from heart conditions.

Kate Walters said: "Our findings have significant implications for clinicians. Panic attacks were associated with a significant increased risk of a subsequent diagnosis of CHD (coronary heart disease) and acute MI in those aged younger than 50."

People should adopt healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly.