BACKGROUND: A significant association between joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) and panic disorder was observed in a sample of rheumatology outpatients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess whether JHS is more frequent in panic-disorder than in control subjects. METHOD: The authors conducted a case-control study comparing 55 untreated patients with panic disorder and three matched-control groups: psychiatric patients, fibromyalgia patients, and healthy persons. RESULTS: JHS was more frequent among panic-disorder than among psychiatric patients, the healthy group, or the fibromyalgia group. In the panic-disorder group, there was a significant correlation between severity of JHS and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The strong association between JHS and panic disorder points to a genetic association. There is also a possibility that JHS and mitral valve prolapse, another condition frequently associated with panic disorder, share a common pathophysiological mechanism.
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