Panic Attacks May Be Common Among Postmenopausal Women

Last Updated: Oct. 1, 2003

Panic attacks may be relatively common among postmenopausal women and may be associated with stressful life events, medical illness and functional impairment, according to an article in the September 22, 2003 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine.

Panic attacks and panic disorder are more common in women than in men, but little is known about the frequency of panic attacks after menopause, according to the article.

Jordan W. Smoller, M.D., Sc.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues surveyed a group of women participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) to determine the prevalence of panic attacks.

The researchers surveyed 3,369 postmenopausal women who enrolled in the Myocardial Ischemia and Migraine Study (MIMS, a smaller study that was part of the WHI) between December 1, 1997 and November 30, 2000. The women were aged 50 to 79 years old (73 percent white) and completed questionnaires about the occurrence of panic attacks and migraine headaches in the previous six months.

Based on responses to the questionnaire, “full blown panic” attack was defined as “reporting an attack of sudden fear, anxiety, or extreme discomfort during the past six months accompanied by four or more panic symptoms,” whereas "”imited-symptom panic” attack was defined as full-blown panic, except that fewer than four panic symptoms were indicated.

Panic attacks were reported by 17.9% of women (full-blown attacks, 9.8%; limited-symptom attacks, 8.1%). Full-blown panic attacks were more common in women with a history of migraine, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, chest pain, and symptoms of depression. Full-blown attacks were also associated with negative life events during the previous year (deaths, illness, etc.). However, there was no significant association with self-reported use of postmenopausal hormone therapy.

“Panic attacks were associated with younger age, lower income, recent negative life events, a history of medical comorbidity (especially cardiopulmonary disease, thyroid problems, and migraine headache), and depression as well as self-reported limitations in social functioning,” the authors write.

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