Stay calm to stay asthma free: Study

Are you vulnerable to anxiety? Well, if yes, then it's time to chill out or else you could end up developing asthma, says a new study.

Researchers at Heidelberg University have carried out the study and found that people, prone to neurotic conditions, could triple their chances of developing asthma unless they stay calm, the New Scientist reported.

They have based their findings on an analysis of a questionnaire given to over 4,000 volunteers to evaluate their tendencies to hysteria, anxiety and depression without asthma. Nine years later, the researchers, led by Adrian Loerbroks, reassessed the volunteers and found that those who had high levels of neurosis were three times as likely to have developed asthma as those with low scores allergy.

Animal studies have shown that chronic stress alters hormone levels, which can inflame airways. Loerbroks believes neurotic character traits may exert similar effects, and so treating highly neurotic people could reduce their risk of developing asthma.