Two new studies show that problems with the mind can play a significant role in problems of the heart.
One study found that anxiety and depression can increase the incidence of angina, the chest pain that sends many people to the doctor, said Dr. Mark Sullivan, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, and senior author of one of the reports in the June 29 online issue of Circulation.
“The overwhelming focus in the United States has been on ischemia,” the blockage of heart arteries, Sullivan said. “That is pretty unique in the world. The rest of the world takes a much more multi-modal approach to chest pain. Ischemia is not the only or most important cause of what patients are feeling.”… continue readingÂ
Source: ABC:Â Sullivan, M.D., Ph.D., professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of Washington, Seattle; Nancy Frasure-Smith, Ph.D., senior research associate, Montreal Heart Institute; June 29, 2009, Circulation, online 
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Panic attacks. Phobias. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour. Six million Canadians cope with some form of anxiety – from mild to severe – everyday. The Anti-Anxiety Workbook, a new book co-authored by Ryerson University psychology professor Dr. Martin Antony and Dr. Peter Norton, director of the University of Houston Anxiety Disorder Clinic, suggests practical ways to overcome these often debilitating health conditions.