Prevalence of respiratory disorders in first-degree relatives of panic disorder patients.

BACKGROUND

Panic Disorder (PD) patients often report a history of respiratory pathology, such as asthma. It is known that both PD and respiratory disorders, like asthma, run in families. A common diathesis for PD and some respiratory disorders may be present both in PD patients and their first-degree relatives. We examined whether the lifetime prevalence of respiratory disorders is higher in first-degree relatives of PD patients than in first-degree relatives of patients with other anxiety disorders.

METHODS

The lifetime history of respiratory pathology was assessed in 379 first-degree relatives of patients with an anxiety disorder by means of a questionnaire.

RESULTS

We found the first-degree relatives of PD patients to report more chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) in general (24.8%) and asthma (10.5%) in particular than the comparison group (13.2% and 3.3%, respectively).

LIMITATIONS

Our data rely on retrospective self-reports.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are consistent with and extend previous studies suggesting a specific association between COPD, asthma in particular, and PD.