Which of the following is a common clinical example of psychological factors affecting other medical conditions?

• A. Insomnia due to cancer
• B. Obesity due to lack of sleep
• C. Anxiety-exacerbating asthma
• D. Hypertension due to stress

Answer: (C)

Psychological factors affecting medical conditions involve how emotional states like anxiety or stress can worsen a medical illness. Anxiety can trigger or intensify asthma symptoms by increasing airway reactivity and bronchospasm, leading to more dyspnea, wheezing, and poorer asthma control. This creates a cycle where anxiety worsens the asthma, and the asthma symptoms, in turn, heighten anxiety. That makes anxiety-exacerbating asthma a classic illustration of how psychological factors can influence a physical condition.

Insomnia due to cancer reflects a symptom of the illness and its treatment rather than a psychological factor driving the disease; obesity related to sleep deprivation is an indirect association, not a direct demonstration of psychological factors worsening a medical condition; hypertension linked to stress is possible but is not as selective or classic an example in illustrating the psychological–medical condition interaction as asthma exacerbated by anxiety.