Thousands examined: 'Hypochondriacs' die younger
In Sweden, scientists examined data from 4,129 people diagnosed with "hypochondriasis," also known as "illness anxiety disorder," and 41,290 individuals who did not have the condition.
AA
The study found that "hypochondriacs" die earlier than others due to both natural and unnatural causes.
Dr. Jonathan E. Alpert of the Montefiore Medical Center in New York, USA, noted in a statement regarding the research that while many people may experience mild illness anxiety, some individuals "live in constant worry and pain to avoid contracting a serious disease."
24 YEARS OF DATA FROM THOUSANDS ANALYZED
David Mataix-Cols, the lead author of the study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, stated that they analyzed 24 years of data from thousands of people while conducting the research, which addressed a "clear gap in the literature."
Mataix-Cols noted that while previous studies suggested that the risk of suicide might be lower in people with this condition, in this study, they observed that the suicide rate among those diagnosed with hypochondriasis was 4 times higher than those without it.
The research was published in the journal "JAMA Psychiatry."