After infarction, better manage stress

Stress is a proven cardiovascular risk factor. But there is evidence that learning stress management could effectively prevent the long term complications of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Stress management reduces cardiovascular risk

Stress is often cited as a risk factor in the pathology of vascular or cardiac origin. It triggers the secretion of stress hormones from the adrenal glands which, among its many effects, increases blood pressure. It promotes, among people at risk (those with a family or medical history or risk behaviors, alcohol, smoking, lack of physical exercise and poor diet), the occurrence of vascular or cardiac events. From this, then it would be legitimate to wonder about the lives that could improve long-term health of people who have already suffered a heart attack. Two methods were tested: the practice of regular physical exercise and learning stress management.

Less stress, less reinfarction

94 men who have had a myocardial infarction were divided in three groups and followed for a period of five years.

- One group was prescribed aerobic exercise three times a week for four months.
- Another had to take a hour and a half per week on stress management. During 16 sessions, patients learned to control their negative emotions and relax.
- The third group consisted of patients population too far from the city to participate in these programs has received the usual medical treatment and constituted the control group.

During the first year of follow-up, two patients in the control group were re-infarction, whereas none of those who have learned to manage stress has had cardiovascular complications. The monitoring of these patients at five years, also shows that hospitalizations due to vascular complications were less frequent in patients who have completed a learning stress management, than patients in the other two groups (exercise and control ). Therefore, medical costs were also lower in this group.

These results clearly establish that there may be a profit clinic for patients and cost to society, to suggest preventive action learning stress management. Those who are concerned with cardiovascular problems can benefit today from these data and courses in yoga, relaxation, or learning stress management courses. A principle of life that can also cater for all, whether you are or not healthy.

Posted in: cardiovascular diseases, Diseases, stress and heart