and direct causative physiological mechanisms  associated with anot her medical condition
can be demonstrated. Late age at onset, atyp ical symptoms, and the absence of a personal
or family history of anxiety disorders suggest the need for a thorough assessment to rule
out the diagnosis of anxiety diso rder due to another medical condition. Anxiety disorders
can exacerbate or pose increased risk for me dical conditions such as cardiovascular events
and myocardial infarction and should not be diagnosed as anxiety disorder due to another
medical condition in these cases.
Illness anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder due to anothe r medical condition should be
distinguished from illness anxiety disorder. Illness anxiety disorder is characterized by
worry about illness, concern about pain, and bod ily preoccupations. In the case of illness
anxiety disorder, individuals may or may not have diagnosed medical conditions. Al-
though an individual with illness anxiety di sorder and a diagnose d medical condition is
likely to experience anxiety about the medical condition, the medical condition is not
physiologically related to the anxiety symptoms. 
Adjustment disorders. Anxiety disorder due to another medical condition should be
distinguished from adjustment disorders, with anxiety, or with anxiety and depressed
mood. Adjustment diso rder is warranted when individual s experience a maladaptive re-
sponse to the stress of having another medical condition. The reaction to stress usually
concerns the meaning or consequences of the stress, as compared with the experience of
anxiety or mood symptoms that occur as a phy siological consequence of the other medical
condition. In adjustment disorder, the anxi ety symptoms are typically related to coping
with the stress of having a general medical condition, whereas in anxiety disorder due to
another medical condition, individuals are more likely to have prominent physical symp-
toms and to be focused on issues other than the stress of the illness itself.