One-Third of Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps Exhibit Anxiety Symptoms

THURSDAY, July 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) exhibit anxiety symptoms, according to a study published online July 23 in the Journal of Inflammation Research.

Pei-Wen Wu, M.D., from Chang Gung University in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and colleagues examined the associations of severe CRSwNP with anxiety and depression. A total of 96 adults with severe primary diffuse CRSwNP scheduled to undergo sinus surgery and 40 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.

The researchers found that Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores were significantly higher among patients with CRSwNP than controls, while no significant difference was seen in the Beck Depression Inventory-II scores. Overall, 32.3 percent of patients with CRSwNP exhibited possible anxiety, defined as a BAI score >7. In a univariate logistic regression analysis, comorbid asthma, Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) score, and blood eosinophil percentage were significant factors associated with anxiety; in a multivariate analysis, comorbid asthma and SNOT-22 remained statistically significant. The optimal cutoff value for identifying patients with possible anxiety was a SNOT-22 score >57.

“These findings highlight the importance of screening for psychological symptoms and potentially integrating psychological assessments and interventions into the care of high-risk patients,” the authors write.

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