GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER PATIENTS SEEK EVALUATION FOR CARDIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AT THE SAME FREQUENCY AS PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER

Although panic disorder (PD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) ha ve similar somatic symptoms, panic attacks with chest pain and/or palp itations may seem more likely to be mistaken for heart attacks because of their acute onset. One would therefore expect that PD patients are more likely than GAD patients to seek cardiological consultations. In a survey of 146 PD and 154 GAD patients entering a multi-site drug tr ial, we found virtually identical rates of such consults. Approximatel y 50% of each patient group sought medical evaluation for cardiac symp toms. Furthermore, 40% of each group had standard treadmill evaluation s and 33% reported having an echocardiogram. This study suggests that future epidemiological studies in cardiology populations should includ e probes for generalized anxiety disorder.