The Correlation Between The Stress And Coronary Heart Disease And TCM Emotion

ObjectivePsychosocial factors have been reported to be independently associated with coronary heart disease. However, previous studies have been in mainly North American or European populations. The aim of the present analysis was to investigate the relation of psychosocial factors to coronary heart disease and Emotional disease of traditional Chinese Medicine.MethodsWe used a case-control design with 117 patients with a first CHD infarction and 66 age-matched (up to 5 years older or younger) and sex-matched controls from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Data for demographic factors, education, income, and cardiovascular risk factors were obtained by standardised approaches. Psychosocial stress was assessed by four simple questions about stress at work and at home, financial stress, and major life events in the past year. Additional questions assessed locus of control, presence of depression and emotional changes.ResultsPeople with myocardial infarction (cases) reported higher prevalence of all four stress factors. Of those cases still working,41.2%(n=21) experienced several periods of work stress or permanent work stress compared with 22.6% (n=7) of controls.34.2%(n=40) experienced several periods of or permanent stress at work, compared with 22.7%(n=15) of controls.51 (43.6%) of cases had several or permanent periods of general stress (work, home, or both) compared with 21 (31.8%) of controls. Severe or moderate financial stress was more typical in cases than controls 45.3%(n=53) vs 42.4%(n=28). Stressful life events in the past year were also more frequent in cases than controls (11.1%[13]) vs 7.6%(n=5). These differences were consistent across regions, in different ethnic groups, and in men and women.ConclusionPresence of psychosocial stressors is associated with increased risk of CHD infarction, suggesting that approaches aimed at modifying these factors should be developed.