To what extent does stress cause Cardiovascular Disorders?

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Physiological Psychology.

To what extent does stress cause Cardiovascular Disorders?

A cardiovascular disorder is any disorder effecting the heart and circulatory system. There is evidence that links stress plays a role in the development of two types of cardiovascular disorders, hypertension (high blood pressure) and coronary heart disease (CHD), which reduces the flow of blood to the heart.

Stress may directly cause cardiovascular problems by; rising heart rate which wears the lining of the blood vessels, increasing blood pressure which causes too much pressure on the blood vessels resulting in damage, also mounting glucose levels leading to blocked blood vessels. Stress can also have an effect on our lifestyle, we may find that smoking or drinking helps to take away the strain, yet this can have an immense negative effect on our cardiovascular system.

Krantz et al (1991) devised a study to look into the extent to which mental stress could be revealed to enlarge the heart condition called Myocardial Ischemia, also for patients suffering coronary artery disease; they looked to see if they reacted in a different way to those without cardiovascular problems. The test involved patients undertaking three mental tasks: arithmetic; a Stroop test; and simulation of public speaking. It was concluded that there is a direct link among performing a mild cognitive task and a psychological activity that could harm the cardiovascular system. Not all the patients reacted the same way so importance must be given to individual differences playing a role in responsiveness. Although this study does maintain the idea that stress can cause cardiovascular disorders it does have its criticisms, for example, the question has to be asked - is it ethically acceptable to put patients suffering a cardiovascular problem under intentional pressure? In their support, Krantz et al did acquire informed approval from the patients.
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Williams et al (2000) also researched the consequence of stress on the cardiovascular system. They used 13,000 participants who were given a 10-qustion anger scale on their temper. At the time not any of the participants suffered from heart problems. Those who had the uppermost score on the anger scale were 2.7 times more likely to have suffered a heart attack than those who had scored least. Six years later the health of the participants were checked and 256 had suffered a heart attack.

Russek and Zohma (1958) compiled a meta-analysis to study the effect on the ...

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