There may be an association between anxiety and metabolic syndrome

1. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, anxiety and metabolic syndrome (MetS) showed a consistent association among cross-sectional studies, although the causality of the association could not be assessed.

2. However, among cohort studies, the findings varied—whereby some studies reported a significant correlation between anxiety and MetS and others reported no significant association.

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)

The scientific literature suggests that up to 40% of patients with anxiety may also suffer from metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although the relationship between anxiety and MetS has been previously characterized, there are several new studies to add to the growing body of research. As a result, the objective of the present study was to provide an updated meta-analysis with the goal of further exploring the association between anxiety and MetS.

Of 6,506 identified records, 24 (n=80,466) cross-sectional studies were included from various sources from database inception to January 2023. Observational studies that measured MetS and presented the effect size of the association between anxiety and MetS were included. Studies were excluded if they had low quality scores. Furthermore, in the event of multiple eligible publications being conducted in the same population, the most relevant study was included. The review was performed using PRISMA guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using random effects analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using funnel plot symmetry, Egger’s and Beg’s tests. The primary outcome was risk of MetS or anxiety.

The results demonstrated that for cross-sectional studies, anxiety and MetS demonstrated a significant association. However, this association was inconsistent and limited with respect to cohort studies. Some cohort studies reported a significant association between anxiety and MetS, while others found no association. Despite these results, the study was limited by the inclusion of mostly cross-sectional studies which prevented the determination of causal relationships. Nonetheless, the present study provided further evidence of the potential association between anxiety and MetS.

Click to read the study in Frontiers in Psychology

Image: PD

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