In fact, worry can make you sick, increase your risk of cancer, heart attack, and stroke. The Northwick Park heart Study, a 10-year study that followed 1,457 healthy men, demonstrated that study participants who reported the most anxiety had triple the risk of having a fatal heart attack. Furthermore, the Framingham Study, a 20-year study following 749 healthy women, revealed that homemakers who reported any symptoms of anxiety were seven times more likely to develop heart disease.

Upsetting life events, like losing someone close to you, can trigger the start or reoccurrence of anxiety problems. So can retirement, financial upheaval, and fear of losing control over your personal affairs. How can you tell if worrying is spinning you out of control? While it�s normal to be concerned about money after you retire, it�s not normal to forego all forms of pleasure, such as travelling, if you can afford it. It�s normal to be concerned about your health but not so normal to think you have a new disease each time you don�t feel up to par.

If you feel you are worrying excessively, there are steps you can take:

• Learn relaxation techniques. For example, twice a day, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Take a deep breath, and then let it out. Relax as fully as possible. Tense each part of your body�arms, neck, shoulders, back, eyes, chest, abdomen, thighs, feet and calves�then relax. Move from body part to body part, repeating the process for each part, until you are completely relaxed.  
• Go for a massage. Even if only twice a month, a massage can work wonders to relax tense muscles and rid the body of toxins.
• Get regular exercise. Walking or hiking at least every other day for a half-hour can help clear your head and put things back in perspective. If nothing else, walk your dog!
• Seek professional treatment. If feelings of anxiety and fear are so extreme that they are disrupting everyday life or you are trying to get control in unhealthy ways (i.e. drugs, alcohol), it�s time to see a physician or mental health counselor. Very often, depression presents as anxiety or extreme worry.

When worry becomes extreme and irrational, it�s not just a case of "nerves." Remember: Just because there is more to worry about as we age doesn't mean that we can expect an anxiety disorder as a normal part of aging. It�s just not so.