Is There a Connection Between Temperament and Heart Illness?

Temperament and personality have a definite impact on blood pressure and on heart illness. This is a superb question and it has been studied by the specialists, as you’ll note within the following excerpts. Heart illness consists of congenital abnormalities, arrhythmias, lipid abnormalities acquired and congenital, functional and physiologic issues, risk elements like diabetes and metabolic syndrome, structural illness and valvular issues, heart failure, acquired illness like coronary artery disuse, and infectious illnesses together with illnesses related to blood vessel structure. Once more, anxiety, tension, and tension related disorders can have an impact on main hormones, heart rate and heart well being and heart illness. Nutritional abnormalities may also impact heart performance.

New study suggests that individuals who suffer from panic attacks are at increased risk of creating heart illness.

Dr Kate Walters and colleagues at University College London examined medical records of much more than 400,000 individuals, such as 57,615 who had been diagnosed with panic attacks. Outcomes showed that individuals who had been younger than 50 when they had been initial diagnosed with panic attack had been 38% much more likely to have a heart attack and 44% much more likely to create heart illness than those with out the condition. Those that had been older than 50 at the time of diagnosis didn’t have an increased risk of heart attack, but had been 11% much more likely to create heart illness than those with out the condition.

Intriguingly, the outcomes also showed that whilst panic attack sufferers had been at increased risk of creating heart illness, they had been seemingly much less likely to die from it.

Why individuals who suffer from panic attacks ought to be at increased risk of creating heart illness is unclear. Based on the study, authors put forward a number of theories, 1 becoming that panic disorders may trigger nervous program modifications which could promote the clogging of arteries. An additional theory is that individuals might have been misdiagnosed as having panic attacks when they really have coronary heart illness. “Clinicians ought to be vigilant for this possibility when diagnosing and treating individuals presenting with symptoms of panic,” said Dr Walters.

Walters K, Rait G, Petersen I, Williams R, Nazareth I. Panic disorder and risk of new onset coronary heart illness, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiac mortality: cohort study utilizing the general practice study database. European Heart Journal. 2008;29:2981-2988. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehn477.

News release: Panic attacks linked to greater risk of heart attacks and heart illness, particularly in younger individuals. European Society of Cardiology. December 10th 2008.

Study outcomes have shown that individuals with depression are at increased risk of heart attack and heart failure simply because they’re much less likely to be active.

Scientists have recognized for some years that individuals who are depressed are at increased risk of heart attack along with other cardiac events, nevertheless the reason why this ought to be has remained unclear. Nevertheless, based on outcomes of a study by Mary A Wooley and colleagues, the increased risk is because of behavioral elements.

The researchers analyzed information obtained from 1,017 individuals with heart illness, 199 of which had symptoms of depression. Outcomes showed that 10% of depressed participants had a cardiac event (e.g. heart attack, heart failure, stroke, transient ischemic attack) throughout the study period, compared to just 6.7% of non-depressed participants, meaning that depressed participants had been 50% much more likely to have a cardiac event. Nevertheless, outcomes also showed that depressed participants had been much more likely to smoke, had been much less likely to take their medications as prescribed, and had been much less physically active. Following the researchers factored these behaviors into their calculations the risk of a cardiac event in depressed participants was comparable to that in non-depressed participants.

The researchers concluded: “These findings raise the hypothesis that the increased risk of cardiovascular events related to depression could potentially be preventable with behavior modification, particularly physical exercise.” Adding: “Exercise training can enhance both depressive symptoms and markers for cardiovascular risk.”

Whooley MA, de Jonge P, Vittinghoff E, et al. Depressive symptoms, well being behaviors, and risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart illness. JAMA 2008;300:2379-2388.