Can Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure? Here’s What the Research Says

Anxiety is part of life. You feel it when you’re stuck in traffic, harried at work or worrying about your family and finances. There’s no doubt that feeling anxious can elevate your blood pressure, at least in the short term.

“Our mind and our thoughts certainly are connected to our hearts,” says Dr. Christopher Celano, associate director of the Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Anxiety is part of life. You feel it when you’re stuck in traffic, harried at work or worrying about your family and finances. There’s no doubt that feeling anxious can elevate your blood pressure, at least in the short term. “Our mind and our thoughts certainly are connected to our hearts,” says Dr. Christopher Celano, associate director of the Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.