Stress - Related illness: Cardiovascular disorders

Stress - Related illness: Cardiovascular disorders

1. actue & chronic stress may affect many different aspects of the cardiovascular system - the heart & circulatory system

   • e.g. - hypertension (high blood pressure)
     • cornoary heart disease (CHD) caused by atherosclerosis (narrowing of the coronary arteries)
       • stroke (damage caused by disruption of blood supply to the brain)
         • although such cardiovascular disorders are affected by lifestyle, diet, smoking etc - stress has become increasingly implicated in the development of all the disorders listed above
           • suggestions have been put forward to explain this:
             • stress activates the sympathetic branch (SNS) of the autonomic nervous system - leads to a constriction of the blood vessels and a rise in blood pressure and heart rate
               • an increase in heart rate may wear away the lining of blood vessels
                 • stress leads to increased glucose levels - leading to clumps blocking the blood vessels

2. research

   • Russek (1962) looked at heart disease in medical professions
     • 1 group of doctors was designated as high stress (GPs and anaesthetists) others designated as low stress (pathologists and dermatologists)
       • Found heart disease greatest among GPs - 11.9%, lowest in dermatologists - 3.2%
         • supports the view that stress is linked to heart disease
   • William et al (2000) conducted a study to see whether anger was linked to heart disease
     • 13,000 people completed 10 - question anger scale
       • none of the participants suffered heart disease at the outset of the study
         • 6 years late health of participants was checked - 256 had experienced heart attacks - those who scored highest on the anger scale were over two and a half times more likely to have a heart attack than those with lowest scores
           • suggests that anger may lead to cardiovascular disorders

3. evaluation:

   • the sympathetic branch of the ANS in some individuals is more reactive than others
     • (Rozanski et al 1999)
       • means that some people respond to stress with greater increases in blood pressure and heart rate than others, leads to more damge to the cardiovascular system in hyperresponsive indiviudals
   • Sheps et al (2002)
     • conducted landmark study which supports that stress can be fatal for people with existing coronary artery disease.
       • focus their research on voulenteers with ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart) - gave 173 men and women psychological tests
         • blood pressure soared dramtically and in half of them - sections of muscle of the left ventricle began to beat erratically
           • 44% of participants who had erratic heartbeats died within 3-4 years compared to 18% who didn't
             • shows that psychological stress can increase the risk of death in people with poor conoary artery circulation
   • Orth - Gomer et al (2000)
     • showed among married or co-habiting women, marital conflict was associated with a 2.9 fold increase in recurrent levels (e.g. heart attack)
       • for women with existing coronary heart disease