Lecture 6: Stress and Cardiovascular Diseases
Cardiovascular disease→ in the NL, CVD is the leading cause of death in
women
● They do not occur randomly, they are triggered due to external events
○ Acute vs. chronic events
The cardiovascular system consists of:
The heart (pump) ⇒ the blood vessels (supply all tissues of the body with
oxygen and nutrients) ⇒ systemic circulation⇒ pulmonary circulation⇒ coronary
arteries (supply the heart muscle with blood)
Main types of CVD
1. Coronary heart disease
a. Myocardial infarction
2. Heart failure
3. Valve disease
a. Cardiac arrest
4. Arrhythmia/sudden cardiac death (SCD)
Risk factors for coronary artery disease
Modifiable Non-modifiable
● Hypertension ● Age
● Diabetes mellitus ● Sex (male)
● Elevated lipid levels (cholesterol) ● Genetic factors
● Smoking
● Overweight
● Psychosocial factors
Treatment of coronary artery disease
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (re-open)
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- Thrombolysis
Psychosocial risks factors for coronary artery disease
(1) Acute→ anger, mental activity
(2) Episodic→ depression, exhaustion
(3) Chronic→ low SES, personality, hostility
Prevalence of depression in patients with medical conditions
Cardiovascular disease→ in the NL, CVD is the leading cause of death in
women
● They do not occur randomly, they are triggered due to external events
○ Acute vs. chronic events
The cardiovascular system consists of:
The heart (pump) ⇒ the blood vessels (supply all tissues of the body with
oxygen and nutrients) ⇒ systemic circulation⇒ pulmonary circulation⇒ coronary
arteries (supply the heart muscle with blood)
Main types of CVD
1. Coronary heart disease
a. Myocardial infarction
2. Heart failure
3. Valve disease
a. Cardiac arrest
4. Arrhythmia/sudden cardiac death (SCD)
Risk factors for coronary artery disease
Modifiable Non-modifiable
● Hypertension ● Age
● Diabetes mellitus ● Sex (male)
● Elevated lipid levels (cholesterol) ● Genetic factors
● Smoking
● Overweight
● Psychosocial factors
Treatment of coronary artery disease
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (re-open)
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- Thrombolysis
Psychosocial risks factors for coronary artery disease
(1) Acute→ anger, mental activity
(2) Episodic→ depression, exhaustion
(3) Chronic→ low SES, personality, hostility
Prevalence of depression in patients with medical conditions
