Researchers have shown that middle-aged men are more likely than others to develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life.
Boston University researchers followed 1,500 men for 40 years, with an average age at 53.
The results of this experiment showed that those who worried and were anxious at the start were 13 percentage points more likely than others to develop six signs that indicate poor heart health.
This included obesity and high cholesterol.
Having six of the risk factors suggests someone is very likely to develop, or already suffers from, cardiometabolic disease — a group of conditions which includes heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.
Lewina Levine Lee was the principal author. She stated that “our findings indicate that men have higher levels of anxiety or worry due to biological processes which may lead to heart disease and other metabolic conditions.”
‘And these associations may be present much earlier in life than is commonly appreciated – potentially during childhood or young adulthood.’
The team said their findings raise the possibility that treating anxiety disorders could lower the risk of cardiometabolic disease.
Dr Lee stated that worry-prone and anxious people need to pay more attention to their hearts health. He recommends regular checks for health as well as maintaining a healthy weight.

The Boston University School of Medicine researchers studied data on more than 1,500 men and found those with higher levels of neuroticism — meaning they are prone to negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, sadness and anger — were 13 per cent more likely to have more cardiometabolic disease risk factors, such as a high BMI or cholesterol, putting them at higher risk of suffering from heart disease, stroke or type two diabetes. The graph shows the number of cardiometabolic disease risk factors the participants had in relation to whether they had high (red), middle (yellow) or low (grey) neuroticism

Researchers found that those with higher worry levels in their middle years were 10 percent more likely to develop cardiometabolic diseases risk factors. This graph displays the risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases that participants were exposed to in relation with their worry levels.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, examined the link between anxiety and cardiometabolic diseases using a database of information on 1,561 men from their 30s to 80s.
The study participants completed personality tests to determine how neurotic and neurotic they were when they first signed up.
Dr Lee, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, said: ‘Individuals with high levels of neuroticism are prone to experience negative emotions – such as fear, anxiety, sadness and anger – more intensely and more frequently.’
A questionnaire was also filled out by participants. It asked them how concerned they were about twenty items, ranging from zero (never), to four (all of the time).
Dr Lee stated that “worry” refers to the attempts of problem solving around an issue where future outcomes are uncertain, potentially positive or negatively.
“Worry can also be adaptive, for instance, when it leads to constructive solutions.
“However worry can sometimes be harmful, especially if it becomes overwhelming and disrupts our daily lives.
The men had no heart issues at the beginning, and were then subject to physical examinations and blood tests each three to five years. Eventually, they either died, or left the program.
Based on the number of health measures they had, such as their BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol, men received a score from seven.
Their triglycerides — a type of fat found in the blood — blood sugar levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a marker of inflammation, were also measured.
All ages showed that men who had higher levels neuroticus were at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, including obesity and high blood pressure.
The most neurotic people were also 13 percent more likely than others to have 6 or more risk factors for developing heart disease. This was after accounting for family history of the disease.
The men who were most worried had a 10 percent higher chance of having six or more risk factors for developing cardiometabolic diseases.
Between the ages of 33 and 65, an average increase in the number of cardiovascular risk factors per participant was about one every ten years, while men had on average four at the age of 65.
It is unclear if these findings could be used to entire populations as all the participants were males and most were white, according to researchers.
But Dr Lee said: ‘We found that cardiometabolic disease risk increased as men aged, from their 30s into their 80s, irrespective of anxiety levels.
“Men with higher anxiety levels and worries had a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease in the future than men who were less anxious or worried.
She said that although we don’t know if anxiety or worry can lower one’s risk of developing a heart attack, worry-prone people should be more vigilant about their cardiovascular health.
‘For example, by having routine health check-ups and being proactive in managing their cardiometabolic disease risk levels — such as taking medications for high blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight — they may be able to decrease their likelihood of developing cardiometabolic disease.’