Among 30 patients with congestive heart failure, chronic emotional difficulties were present in 26, and acute emotional stress precipitated or prolonged cardiac decompensation in 19 patients.
Observational (n=30)
What is the role of emotional problems and acute emotional stress in precipitating or prolonging congestive heart failure?
Emotional stress and chronic emotional difficulties play a significant role in precipitating or prolonging congestive heart failure, often through medication non-adherence or neurohumoral mechanisms.
To facilitate an appreciation of the psychosomatic implications of congestive heart failure, the emotional problems of 30 patients being treated for cardiac decompensation were defined. Emotional difficulties of a chronic nature were found to be an integral part of daily living in 26. Cardiac decompensation because the patient fails to take digitalis which failure, in turn, is the result of his emotional problem is an example of indirect relationship between the mental and organic maladies. This was present in 14 patients. In 19 an acute emotional stress such as the death of a beloved relative had a more direct influence, through as yet only partially understood neurohumoral mechanisms, in prolonging or precipitating an episode of congestive failure. The practical implication of these psychosomatic relationships is indicated by the known facts that heart function, venous pressure, and arterial pressure are all affected by emotional stress or by hormones released at the time of stress.
Charles R. Vernon (Sat,) conducted a observational in Congestive heart failure (n=30). Among 30 patients with congestive heart failure, chronic emotional difficulties were present in 26, and acute emotional stress precipitated or prolonged cardiac decompensation in 19 patients.