Blood test to check anxiety levels

SGGP 03/16/2023 08:13

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine (USA) have just succeeded in testing blood levels of anxiety, thereby determining the severity of current anxiety and possibly helping to suggest the most effective treatment.

Many people suffer from anxiety that affects their daily lives.

The test looks at biomarkers, which measure the levels of proteins, enzymes, hormones or other molecules that are closely linked to mood disorders. These biomarkers could help objectively determine a person's risk of developing anxiety, since a person's biomarkers can also change over time, according to the study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

There are many social, psychological, and physiological treatments for anxiety disorders, but doctors have a hard time finding the right balance of medications or therapies, in the right doses, at the right times. Blood tests are a convenient, objective way to learn about what’s going on in our bodies and brains, researchers say, because they can be combined with other blood tests. What’s more, if doctors can identify specific biomarkers that predict the risk of developing an anxiety disorder in the future, they could start preventing anxiety disorders before they start or return.

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