Anxiety breakthrough

ANXIETY and panic attacks may be triggered by inflammation in the body.

Research in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine found that in people with panic disorder (recurring panic attacks), levels of interleukin-6 – a compound associated with inflammation – are a third higher.

The study is the latest to investigate possible biological causes of psychiatric conditions. This follows observations that patients with inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, have higher rates of depression.