Anxiety disorders and risk of self-reported ulcer: a 10-year longitudinal study among US adults.

OBJECTIVE Previous epidemiologic studies have documented a link between anxiety disorders and ulcer among adults. Few studies have examined these associations over time and little is understood about the pathways underlying these relationships. METHOD Data were drawn from n = 2101 adult participants in the Midlife Development in the United States I and II. Data on ulcer diagnoses were collected through self-report: among participants in the current sample, 38 reported ulcer at Waves 1 and 2 (prevalent ulcer), and 18 reported ulcer at Wave 2 but not at Wave 1 (incident ulcer). Panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder at Wave 1 (1994) were examined in relation to prevalent (past 12 months) and incident ulcer approximately 10 years later at Wave 2 (2005). RESULTS Anxiety disorders at Wave 1 were associated with increased prevalence of ulcer [odds ratio (OR) = 4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.0-8.4], increased risk of incident ulcer at Wave 2 (OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.4-11.7) and increased risk of treated ulcer at Wave 2 (OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 2.3-9.9) compared with those without anxiety. CONCLUSIONS In this large population sample of adults, anxiety disorders were associated with an increased risk of ulcer over a 10-year period. These relationships do not appear to be explained by confounding or mediation by a wide range of factors. Future studies should address potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between anxiety and ulcer.