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Mental Stress and Ventricular Arrhythmias

  • Psychological Aspects of Cardiovascular Diseases (A Steptoe, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Anger and other negative emotions can precipitate sudden death, as shown in studies of population stressors. Clinical studies of patients with implantable defibrillators demonstrate that anger can trigger ventricular arrhythmias. Long-term negative emotions also increase vulnerability to arrhythmias. Mechanisms linking anger and arrhythmias include autonomic changes, which alter repolarization, possibly enhanced in patients with sympathetic denervation, which in turn trigger potentially lethal polymorphic ventricular tachycardias. Interventions which decrease negative emotions and resultant autonomic responses may be therapeutic in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

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  1. Yale University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, 789 Howard Avenue, Dana 319, 06520, New Haven, CT, USA

    Rachel Lampert

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  1. Rachel Lampert
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Correspondence to Rachel Lampert.

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Rachel Lampert declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain primary reports of any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Psychological Aspects of Cardiovascular Diseases

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Lampert, R. Mental Stress and Ventricular Arrhythmias. Curr Cardiol Rep 18, 118 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-016-0798-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-016-0798-6

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