Health & Fitness - Anxiety disorders linked to genes

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Anxiety disorders linked to genes

HELSINKI, Finland (UPI) -- Finnish researchers say they have identified genes that may predispose a person to anxiety disorders such as panic disorder or social phobia.

Other major types of anxiety disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Study leader Iiris Hovatta of the Academy of Finland Research Program on Neuroscience found a statistical association between certain genes that influence human behavior and specific anxiety disorders.

"Environmental factors, such as stressful life events, may trigger an anxiety disorder more easily in people who have a genetic predisposition to the illness," Hovatta said in a statement.

The study used data on 321 individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 653 controls collected as part of a national Health 2000 Survey.

Hovatta reported different genes showed evidence for association to specific types of anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, social phobias or generalized anxiety disorder.

The finding will be published in Biological Psychiatry in October.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 09/01/2008

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