Fear linked to heightened inflammation
Researchers in London asked 208 patients to rate their levels of fear after a severe cardiac event, and found that those who reported they were most distressed had higher levels of chemical markers linked to inflammation in their bloodstream, the BBC reports. In the European Heart Journal, they report that heightened inflammation can lead to worse health in the long term later on. Fear of dying is linked to “biological changes that go on during acute cardiac events,” British Heart Foundation professor Andrew Steptoe, who worked on the study, said.