Worrying About Good Health May Lead to Bad Health

People who, in spite of being healthy, constantly worry about their health may be actually ruining it.

According to a study conducted in Norway, persistent uneasiness about a possibility of getting a disease, called health anxiety, proved to be a serious risk factor for developing a heart disorder.

After following the health of 7,052 people for 12 years, researchers at Sandviken University hospital in Bergen found that those with health anxiety were 73 percent more likely to develop a heart disease.

Scientists say the study relied on verbal reports by patients about their health worries, so they do not know whether they had any legitimate reasons to be anxious.

But they point out that chronic anxiety often leads to unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking and eating a poor diet, which all contribute to developing heart disease.

Their advice is: if you persistently worry about your health, talk with your doctor about health anxiety.