Hello, jameswille-ga!
I searched long and hard to find articles on the effects of
emotional stress on congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy that
you could access online. There are many, many medical journal
articles, which would require you to travel to a college or medical
library, or pay to subscribe for access online. Therefore, I was
restricted to articles that compile data from research, as well as
some short abstracts of longer journal articles, that you can access
on the internet, as you requested.
I sincerely hope that the following list of articles, followed by
relevant excerpts, is helpful.
ARTICLES
“What are the Lifestyle Recommendations for Congestive Heart
Failure?” Nidus Information Services (2001) at
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/health/a-z/13congestiveheart/doc13lifestyle.html
Excerpt:
“Stress reduction techniques may have direct physical benefits
lowering stress hormones, including cortisol (which suppresses the
immune system) and norepinephrine (also known as adrenaline), the
chemical messenger associated with heart dysfunction. Many effective
stress reduction techniques, including meditation and relaxation
methods, are available.”
“Advances in the Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure.” Hospital
Management.net at http://www.hospitalmanagement.net/informer/technology/tech8/
Excerpt:
“There are also many basic palliative measures a patient can take to
reduce the symptoms of CHF and slow the progression of the disease.
Examples include:
“Reducing physical and emotional stress.”
“Information About Common Heart Diseases: Congestive Heart Failure.”
Temple University Hospital at
http://www.temple.edu/heart/html/chf.html
Excerpt:
“The following factors can worsen or trigger congestive heart
failure in people with weakened hearts:
“Emotional stress.”
“Congestive Heart Failure.” Thrombosis Online (2002) at
http://www.thrombosisonline.com/congestive_heart_failure
Excerpt:
“There are 3 main ways doctors treat patients with CHF:
2. Removal of precipitating causes. This includes treatment of
various conditions such as anemia, kidney failure, liver failure,
breathing problems, emotional stress, avoidance of alcohol, control of
fever, and control of too much fluid in the body.”
“Psychophysiological Coherence: A Link between Positive Emotions,
Stress Reduction, Performance and Health,” by R. McCraty. Institute of
HeartMath (11/2000) at
http://www.heartmath.org/ResearchPapers/abstracts/ab18.html
Excerpt:
“While much psychological theory and practice has focused on
improving health and well being by eradicating negative emotions,
relatively little research has explored the impact of positive
emotions on physical and psychological functioning. We have found that
sustained positive affective states lead to a clear and definable mode
of physiological function that appears to facilitate the body's
natural regenerative processes.”
“Additionally, practice of these techniques has been associated with
health improvements in a wide variety of clinical conditions. Several
examples include:… reduced depression and improved functional capacity
in elderly patients with congestive heart failure…..”
“HeartMath Tools Facilitate Health Improvements In Congestive Heart
Failure Patients.” Abstract. Institute of HeartMath at
http://www.heartmath.org/ResearchPapers/abstracts/ab6.html
Excerpt:
“As compared to a control group that did not attend the program, the
treatment group showed a significant reduction in perceived stress and
depression, significant gains in mental health and vitality, and a
significant improvement in functional capacity as measured by
performance on a six-minute walk. (Congestive heart failure patients
are typically characterized by severely limited physical activity and
exercise intolerance). The entire document must be paid for
“Straight from the Heart: Controlling the Heart's Rhythms Can Benefit
the Whole Body,” by Deborah Amos. ABC News.com (2/7/2001) at
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/WorldNewsTonight/wnt010207_heartmath_feature.html
Excerpt:
“So, a couple of times a day, he does a simple mental exercise, a
kind of meditation — but he focuses on his heart. He gets results
within minutes.”
"In the simplest language, the stress goes away," Gerra says. He
uses a computer program to monitor his heart rhythms; the program lets
him know when and how his rhythms have changed.”
“The technique is based on new research from the HeartMath Institute
in Boulder Creek, Calif. Studies done there have shown the heart can
send powerful calming and healing commands to the entire body.”
“This technique has been tested in a number of environments,
including hospital cardiac units.” "It helps people recover from
congestive heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure," says Rollin
McCraty, senior research director for HeartMath.”
“Does Stress Really Cause Heart Disease?” by Dr. Rich. at
http://heartdisease.about.com/library/weekly/aa101100a.htm
Excerpt: There is a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that
chronic emotional stress can be associated with heart disease and
early death.
“A recent study from Duke University reported a significant
reduction in heart attacks among patients with coronary artery disease
who underwent a formal stress management program, which was used in
conjunction with a smoking cessation program, a weight-loss program,
and control of lipids.”
“While it hasn’t yet been scientifically “proven,” learning stress
management techniques may be quite helpful in reducing the risk of
coronary events. Stress management has the added benefit of being
risk-free. Thus, there seems to be little reason not to recommend some
form of stress management in people with heart disease, or with risk
factors for heart disease.”
“Congestive Heart Failure.” Section 8. Heart Center Online (5/9/2001)
at http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/common/articles.cfm?Artid=254&startpage=8&
Excerpt:
“What treatments are given to a patient with CHF?”
“Most patients are advised to make lifestyle changes, regardless of
the severity of their condition. These may include….. learning and
practicing stress management skills……”
“Managing Stress.” American Heart Association. at
http://216.185.112.5/presenter.jhtml?identifier=360
Excerpt:
“People with heart failure need to avoid that kind of physical
response to stress. Emotional stress and anxiety actually make the
heart work harder, which can make symptoms worse. That's why patients
and their caregivers should work together to keep stress under
control.”
“Understanding Your Role.” American Heart Association. at
http://216.185.112.5/presenter.jhtml?identifier=349
Excerpt:
"Doctors ask people with heart failure to change their lives — by
eating differently, remembering medications, paying closer attention
to their bodies, and reducing stress. Such changes are hard because
they often require breaking long-time habits. But they're usually
easier when loved ones get involved. If you live with or are close to
someone who has heart failure, you're likely to have the greatest
impact on their success in following instructions from the healthcare
team."
“Behavioral Research in Cardiovascular, Lung, and Blood Health and
Disease.” National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (1998) PDF file at
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/docs/taskforc.pdf
Excerpt:
“Studies show that interventions to modify psychosocial risk factors,
including stress, improve risk profiles and quality of life for
cardiac patients. Preliminary evidence also indicates that an
intensive behavioral program that combines stress management with
dietary modification and exercise can promote the regression of
coronary athersclerosis.” Read further for results from clinical
trials. (Page 111 on page counter, page 102 on actual report)
“Understanding Heart Failure.” The Hopkins Internist. at
http://www.med.jhu.edu/deptmed/Internist/nov00/htfailure.html
Excerpt:
“Another connection, says cardiologist Ilan Wittstein, M.D., is in
the relationship between emotional stress and heart failure…….The
finding, he adds, may also help shed more light on the heart-mind
connection.”
“Geriatric Neurocardiology: The Mind-Heart Connection in Older
Persons,” by Carlos A. Reyes-Ortiz, M.D. Clinical Geriatrics at
http://www.mmhc.com/cg/articles/CG9801/Reyes.html
Excerpt:
“Psychosocial risk factors and mental stress by central and autonomic
dysfunction may indeed precipitate fatal cardiac arrhythmias,
myocardial ischemia, or cardiomyopathy in older persons.”
“Congestive Heart Failure.” Reviewed by John Farmer MD and Guillermo
Torre, MD, PhD. Best Health Guide (7/2001) at
http://praxis.md/bhg/bhg.asp?page=BHG01CA06
Excerpt:
“Emotional stress may aggravate your condition.”
“Several self-care techniques, such as losing weight, getting more
exercise, and learning to relax improve survival and quality of life.”
“Can Complementary Therapy Help You Recover Faster from Heart
Problems?” Yale-New Haven Hospital (5/19/2002) at
http://www.ynhh.org/choice/complementarytherapy.html
Excerpt:
“Yale-New Haven Hospital's coronary care unit (CCU) offers a range
of complementary therapies to help patients with heart attack,
cardiomyopathy, complicated angioplasty, unstable heart rhythms and
patients waiting for heart transplants. The choice to use
complementary therapy is entirely optional and voluntary, depending on
the preferences of the individual patient.”
“Complementary therapy describes a number of healing techniques
that, in some cases, originated thousands of years ago. It is based on
the concept of balance and harmony among the physical, spiritual and
emotional needs of a human being. It is practiced in combination with
traditional medical care and serves in a supplementary role.”
The article has a complete list of complimentary therapies used to
reduce emotional stress.
“Holistic Cardiology.” Cardiovascular Wellness and Longevity Center
(2002) at http://www.vagnini.com/programs/holistic.asp
Excerpt:
“Very frequently behavior modification is easily forgotten in the
management of heart disease, but when one studies trigger heart
attack, one of the greatest triggers along with physical activity is
emotional stress, hostility or anger. Part of the Dean Ornish program
seriously addresses this in the form of behavior modification and
these emotional changes with their concurrent vasoconstrictive
problems as well as causing an increase in rapid heart rate which can
cause plaque rupture and thrombosis must be addressed and are an
important part in the management of heart disease.”
“Prognostic Importance of Emotional Support for Elderly Patients
Hospitalized With Heart Failure,” by Harlan M. Krumholz, MD; Javed
Butler, MD; Jeremy Miller, MD; Viola Vaccarino, MD, PhD; Christianna
S. Williams, MPH; Carlos F. Mendes de Leon, PhD; Teresa E. Seeman,
PhD; Stanislav V. Kasl, PhD; Lisa F. Berkman, PhD. Circulation(1998)
at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/97/10/958
The clinical investigation focuses on the importance of emotional
support for patients with heart failure, and the consequent lessening
of emotional stress when patients have support from those they can
trust.
“Impact of Acute Mental Stress on Sympathetic Nerve Activity and
Regional Blood Flow in Advanced Heart Failure,” by Holly R.
Middlekauff, MD; Alison H. Nguyen, BS; Carlos E. Negrao, PhD; Egbert
U. Nitzsche, MD; Carl K. Hoh, MD; Barbara A. Natterson, MD; Michele A.
Hamilton, MD; Gregg C. Fonarow, MD; Antoine Hage, MD; ; Jaime D.
Moriguchi, MD. Circulation (1997) at
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/96/6/1835
Excerpt:
“Evidence is accumulating that specific "triggers," such as
intense psychological or physical stress, may precipitate myocardial
infarction and sudden death…..The first goal of this investigation was
to test the hypothesis that acute episodes of mental stress in
patients with advanced heart failure produce exaggerated sympathetic
and heart rate responses….Thus, acute mental stress in patients with
heart failure is associated with adverse autonomic and hemodynamic
responses, with potentially deleterious clinical sequelae.”
“Personal Health: Ancient tool of survival is deadly for the heart,”
by Jane Brody. New York Times News Service (2002) at
http://www4.fosters.com/health/articles/health_0524c.asp
Excerpt:
“While there has been much backing and forthing, the preponderance
of evidence has indicated a strong relationship between what can be
summed up as excessive emotional stress and an elevated risk of
developing and dying of heart disease.”
“Now in a comprehensive review published this year in Mayo Clinic
Proceedings, the underlying physiology that explains these and other
factors linked to heart disease was detailed by a cardiologist and
internist from the Mid-America Heart Institute of St. Luke’s Hospital
and the University of Missouri in Kansas City.”
“The role of the autonomic nervous system in heart disease is
perhaps most vividly seen in patients with congestive heart failure.
Drugs that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system have been used to
increase cardiac output in patients with failing hearts.”
“But while a normal heart can respond to such stimulation, for an
injured heart it is "analogous to flogging a sick horse" and often
results in increased deaths over time, the cardiologists reported.”
ABSTRACTS Only
“Prevention of relapse in patients with congestive heart failure:
the role of precipitating factors,” by Feenstra J, Grobbee DE, Jonkman
FA, Hoes AW, Stricker BH. Heart(11/1998) at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9930039&dopt=Abstract
(Full article may be purchased by clicking on link for Heartjnl.com)
Excerpt:
“Potential precipitating factors are discussed in relation to the
pathophysiology of CHF: alcohol, smoking, psychological stress,
uncontrolled hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischaemia,
poor treatment compliance, and inappropriate medical treatment.”
“A Controlled Pilot Study of Stress Management Training of Elderly
Patients with Congestive Heart Failure,”by William Haskell, Ph.D.,
Principle Investigator. Stanford Center for Research in Disease
Prevention. (1999) at
http://prevention.stanford.edu/research/studies/aging_stress_management.html
Excerpt:
Abstract: To evaluate the effect of stress management training on
quality of life, functional capacity and heart rate variability in
elderly patients with NYHA class I-III CHF.
Results: A significant improvement (p< .05) was noted in the
patients assigned to treatment vs. the control group in perceived
stress, emotional distress, six minute walk and depression and
positive trends were noted in each of the other psychosocial and
functional capacity measures.
“Stress management for patients with heart disease: a pilot study,”
by Turner L, Linden W, van der Wal R, Schamberger W. Heart Lung (1995)
at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&uid=95279131&Dopt=r
Excerpt:
Objective: “To conduct a feasibility study on stress management for
patients with heart disease; more specifically, to test the
availability of patients, determine dropout rates, and investigate the
sensitivity to change of a large number of psychologic and biologic
stress indexes.”
Intervention: “Patients were randomly assigned to either (1)
exercise rehabilitation (ER) and an 8-week stress management (SM)
program (ER + SM) or (2) ER only.”
Results: “Computed effect sizes indicated that blood pressure
reactivity to a psychologic challenge was reduced after treatment in
the ER + SM group but not in ER group.”
“Nonpharmacologic therapy improves functional and emotional status
in congestive heart failure,” by Kostis JB, Rosen RC, Cosgrove NM,
Shindler DM, Wilson AC. Chest (1994) at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&uid=95009038&Dopt=r
Excerpt:
Design: “Randomized, parallel assignment to three treatment groups
of 20 patients with congestive heart failure ( New York Heart
Association Class II and III).
Intervention: Nonpharmacologic treatment program included the
following: (1) graduated exercise training, three to five times per
week; (2) structured cognitive therapy and stress management; and (3)
dietary intervention aimed at salt reduction and weight reduction in
the overweight.
Conclusions: Nonpharmacologic therapy improved functional capacity,
body weight, and mood state in patients with congestive heart failure.
Good general references:
“Healthy Heart Page of TREA Senior Citizens League” contains a wealth
of articles on all types of heart problems.
http://www.tscl.org/HealthyHeart.asp
“Heart Center Online for Patients” is a great reference point. You
can join for free, and have access to good articles, discussion
groups, physician referrals, etc.
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/index2.cfm
American Heart Association at
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000 has a
great search tool. For example, I typed in “emotional stress and
congestive heart failure” and received a good list of articles (some
relevant, others not!)
“Congestive Heart Failure,” by Dondee Almazan, Sean McFarland and
Lyza Sanders. California StateUniversity, Fresno. Dept.of Nursing at
http://www.csufresno.edu/nursing/n140/studassign/chf.htm
For a message board devoted to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, go
to http://members.tripod.com/~cardiomyopathy/ You can click on the
link for the message board at the bottom of the page if you wish to
contact others who share the same condition.
Take good care!
umiat-ga
Google Search Stratey
+cardiomyopathy +emotional +stress
congestive heart failure and emotional stress |
