Panic Disorder and Vulnerability to Later Atrial Fibrillation

Although panic disorder has been associated with increased risks for myocardial infarction, whether panic disorder might also specifically increase the risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) has not previously been studied. Using a Taiwanese national insurance database, investigators compared 3888 patients receiving baseline diagnoses of panic disorder with 38,880 control individuals, balanced according to known risk factors (e.g., age, sex, and histories of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia). Participants with preexisting arrhythmia were excluded.

Relative to controls, those with initial panic disorder had elevated baseline rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and depression. Participants were tracked for up to 7 years …