LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A U.S. study said intense, long-lasting anxiety increases heart attack risk by up to 40 percent.

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said nervous, socially withdrawn people may have as much to worry about when it comes to their heart as those with Type A personalities.

"What we're seeing is over and beyond what can be explained by blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol, age, cigarette smoking, blood sugar levels and other cardiovascular risk factors," Biing-Jiun Shen, an assistant professor of psychology at the

University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said Tuesday in a release.
Shen and his colleagues found that men who tested at the highest 15th percentile on any of four anxiety scales faced an increase in the risk of heart attack of approximately 30 to 40 percent.

The finding held true even after the findings were adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, health habits and negative psychological and personality traits, the report said.

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