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Mental stress could have more severe impact on heart disease sufferers

Thursday 9th June 2016
Research from King’s College London has suggested that heart disease could make people more vulnerable to mental stress. Image Credit: SIphotography via iStock
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People with heart disease could be more susceptible to mental stress, according to a study carried out at King's College London.

Conducted alongside St Thomas’ Hospital, the research looked at observational studies of large populations and found that people with coronary heart disease (CHD) often react in a different physical way to mental stress.

The study, presented at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Conference and funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), compared 15 people with significant CHD and 11 people without the condition during periods of mental stress.

To do this, the team measured the blood pressure and speed of blood flow of each participant while they completed tests designed to cause mental stress.

They found that people without CHD experienced an increase in heart rate and blood pressure during periods of mental stress, allowing the heart muscle to get more oxygen. In contrast, those diagnosed with heart disease saw no change and blood struggled to get through the delicate blood vessels in the heart, meaning there could be further consequences for their health.

Around 2.3 million people have been diagnosed with CHD in the UK and the findings could help to identify future treatment to safeguard them from cardiac trauma after a period of mental stress.

Researchers now want to plan further studies to find new treatments that could counteract the effects of mental stress to reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening cardiac problems.

Dr Satpal Arri, BHF research fellow at King’s College London and cardiology registrar at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said the findings demonstrate a clear association between mental stress and adverse effects on the heart, which are particularly concerning for people with CHD.

"Currently, there are no specific treatments to counteract these effects, although current angina treatments such as beta-blockers, that reduce the body’s stress response, may offer protection. Specific treatments for mental stress could come from this research in the future," he stated.

Written by Mathew Horton

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