Men who have an inflated ego about their looks may seem like they are the most confident people in the world but a new study has revealed that they are likely to be so plagued by worry that they put their health at risk.

The Daily Mail reports that narcissism, or vanity, is on the rise in men and is causing them to suffer from stress-related illnesses such as high blood pressure.

For the study, psychologists asked 106 men and women to take personality tests and took saliva samples from the participants to measure levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone.

Men who showed ‘unhealthy’ levels of egotism in their answers to the personality test also had high levels of the stress hormone whereas this was not the case in women.

The authors of the study suggest that the pressure on men to be ‘traditional men’ may be taking its toll. Men are literally worrying themselves sick trying to fit into traditional male gender roles. They want to look good and have the characteristics that are expected of them such as strength, dominance, charm and a steady control of their emotions.

“Even though narcissists have grandiose self-perceptions, they also have fragile views of themselves, and often resort to defensive strategies like aggression when their sense of superiority is threatened,” said David Reinhard of the University of Michigan, a co-author of the study.

While a healthy dose of narcissism is good for you, too much can cause tension, depression and personality disorders.

The study supports previous works that have shown while egotistical people think they are happy and have high self-esteem, many unknowingly display characteristics associated with unhappiness and insecurity.

Professor Sara Konrath, the lead author of the study, said: “Narcissistic men may be paying a high price in terms of their physical health, in addition to the psychological cost to their relationships.”

So the next time you see a man walking down the street with an annoyingly confident swagger just remind yourself, you may not be perfect but at least you don’t spend hours stressing in front of a mirror every day.