Background. Increasing evidence links anxiety to cardiovascular risk factors and diseases such as atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease. The association of anxiety disorders with cardiovascular disease risk may be mediated by systemic inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether anxiety disorders are associated with low-grade inflammation in male smokers without coronary heart dis ease.
Material and methods. We evalut ated common anxiety disorders (current generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatrie Interview) and assessed inflammation using blood levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), fibrinogen. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors (physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, dyslipidemia, primary hypertension, metabolic syndrome) were also evaluated.
Results. 243 men data was used for the analysis (mean age: 47.6±4,2 years). Anxiety disorders were diagnosed for 59 (24.3%) men. Patients were divided into two groups: with anxiety disorders and without anxiety disorders. Blood level of hsCRP in group without anxiety disorders was 2.68 mg/L (±1.96), in patients with anxiety disorders 2.45 mg/L ± 1.93, p=0.352. Blood level of fibrinogen in group without anxiety disorders was 3.67 g/L ± 0.70, and in patients with anxiety disorders 3.75 g/L ± 0.82, p=0.765. The inflammation markers were categorized in to groups: hsCRP <1 mg/l and hsCRP >1, fibrinogen <4 g/L and > 4 g/L, IL-6 <2 ng/L and IL-6 >2 ng/L. We evaluated frequency of increased inflammation, which was non-significant: hsCRP >1 mg/L - 84.8%, fibrinogen >4 g/L - 27.7%, IL-6 >27.2% in patients without anxiety disorders and hsCRP >1 mg/L - 76.3%, fibrinogen >4 g/L - 32.2%, IL-6 >23.7% in the group with anxiety disorders.
Conclusions. These findings suggest that there is no association of current anxiety disorders and inflammation state in male smokers.
