Patterns of psychiatric and physical comorbidities associated with panic disorder in a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

Objective: This study aims to document a range of risk of psychiatric and physical comorbidities among PD patients using a nationwide population-based dataset in Taiwan.Method: A total of 3672 patients with at least three consensus diagnoses with PD were included, together with 18 360 matched controls without PD. Logistic regression analyses were performed after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics.Results: After adjusting for the patients' sex, age and geographic region, patients with PD were more likely to have major depressive disorder (OR = 23.45), bipolar disorder (OR = 15.54), cardiac dysrhythmia (OR = 15.12), coronary heart disease (OR = 7.69), myocardial infarction (OR = 6.55), irritable bowel syndrome (OR = 4.82), peptic ulcers (OR = 4.30), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 3.61), hypertension (OR = 3.31), epilepsy (OR = 3.07), hepatitis (OR = 2.70), hyperlipidemia (OR = 2.20), asthma (OR = 2.17), schizophrenia (OR = 2.14), neoplasms (OR = 2.02), renal disease (OR = 1.89) and diabetes (OR = 1.26), compared to patients in the comparison cohort.Conclusion: We conclude that PD is associated with an array of psychiatric and physical illnesses.