Key result
Psychological and physiological stressors act as major triggers for cardiac arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation, by exerting profound effects on the autonomic nervous system.
Stress and autonomic nervous system activity play a significant role in the initiation and maintenance of atrial arrhythmias, highlighting the potential for stress management in arrhythmia prevention.
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May support stress reduction in AF care; leaves open need for interventional trials to confirm benefit.
Stress is a major trigger of cardiac arrhythmias; it exerts profound effects on electrophysiology of the cardiomyocytes and the cardiac rhythm. Psychological and physiological stressors impact the cardiovascular system through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). While stressors vary, properties of the stress response at the level of cardiovascular system (collectively referred to as the autonomic cardiovascular responses) are similar and can be studied independently from the properties of specific stressors. Here, we will review the clinical and experimental evidence linking common stressors and atrial arrhythmias. Specifically, we will describe the impact of psychological and circadian stressors on ANS activity and arrhythmogenesis. We will also review studies examining relationships between autonomic cardiovascular responses and cardiac arrhythmias in ambulatory and laboratory settings.
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Shusterman et al. (2013) conducted a review in Cardiac Arrhythmias (Atrial Fibrillation). Stress (Psychological and Physiological) was evaluated. Psychological and physiological stressors act as major triggers for cardiac arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation, by exerting profound effects on the autonomic nervous system.
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