Link between stress and heart disease may be prematureMay 22, 2002It has often been claimed that psychological stress is an important cause of heart disease, but a study in this week's BMJ shows that previous research may have been misleading. Researchers measured self-assessed stress amongst middle-aged Scottish men working in and around Glasgow in the early 1970s. These men were then followed for more than twenty years to see whether or not they developed heart disease. Several different measures of heart disease were used. Men who thought they were most stressed were also most likely to report symptoms of ill health, including symptoms of angina. In some cases, these symptoms also led to hospital admission. A na'-ve analysis would therefore apparently show that stress causes heart disease. However, hospital diagnoses of heart disease, electrocardiogram (ECG) signs of heart disease and death from heart disease (and in fact overall death rates) were actually lower amongst men reporting high stress. "It seems unlikely that genuine coronary heart disease would not be associated with an increased risk of heart disease death in a middle aged male population followed up for over 20 years," say the authors. They suggest a more likely explanation is that some people see themselves as experiencing more symptoms of stress, and also more symptoms of illness. This may have led past researchers to wrongly conclude that stress causes heart disease. Interestingly, the men who saw themselves as most stressed in this study, also smoked more, drank more alcohol and took less exercise. However, most stressed men tended to have better jobs. This greater affluence probably explained why, by most objective measures of heart disease, they were healthier. | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Heart Disease Current Events and Heart Disease News Articles Presence of gum disease may help dentists and physicians identify risk for cardiovascular disease Individuals reporting a history of periodontal disease were more likely to have increased levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease, compared to those who reported no history of periodontal disease. Estrogen therapy could be dangerous for women with existing heart risk Hormone therapy could accentuate certain pre-existing heart disease risk factors and a heart health evaluation should become the norm when considering estrogen replacement, new research suggests. Researchers identify how binge drinking may drive heart disease As the holidays arrive, a group of researchers has identified the precise mechanisms by which binge drinking contributes to clogs in arteries that lead to heart attack and stroke, according to a study published today in the journal Atherosclerosis. Why women should eat less, move more and consider wearing transdermal HRT patches during menopause Weight and appetite experts from around the world met at a conference in Bangkok earlier this year to discuss sex differences in obesity. One line of discussion looked at factors leading to women's weight gain during menopause, and how it might be avoided. Mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer give clues to new therapies Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level. Scientists discover 21st century plague Bacteria that can cause serious heart disease in humans are being spread by rat fleas, sparking concern that the infections could become a bigger problem in humans. MU study reveals effective anti-tobacco ads should either scare or disgust viewers Now's the perfect time to increase anti-smoking campaigns - Nov. 20 is the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. Red, red wine: How it fights Alzheimer's Scientists call it the "French paradox" - a society that, despite consuming food high in cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease. Very low birth weight is a risk factor for 1 cause of CKD Individuals who were underweight at birth are at increased risk of developing a condition called secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Study suggests attending religious services sharply cuts risk of death A study published by researchers at Yeshiva University and its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, strongly suggests that regular attendance at religious services reduces the risk of death by approximately 20 percent. More Heart Disease Current Events and Heart Disease News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||