Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Sep 30:15:1419731.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1419731. eCollection 2024.

Psychological risk factors and cardiovascular disease

Valeria Carola  1 , Cristina Vincenzo  1 , Giulia Di Vincenzo  1 , Chiara Morale  1 , Valentina Cecchi  1 , Giampaolo Nicolais  1
Affiliations
Review

Psychological risk factors and cardiovascular disease

Valeria Carola et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, emerging from a combination of several factors. The aim of this review is to define the psychological factors that are significant in the development and progression of these disorders.

Methods: Studies published through 2023 concerning adults with psychological vulnerability factors and/or cardiovascular disease were selected through searches of PubMed, PsychINFO, Science Direct, and Google Scholar.

Results: Psychological stress may influence CVD, in combination with other risk factors, or it can act independently, as in cases of workplace stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, Takotsubo syndrome and bereavement. Coping strategies, anxiety and depression have also been identified as relevant psychological factors in cardiac patients. Adverse childhood experiences are linked to a reduced quality of life and have been identified as significant risk factors for the development of acquired CVDs.

Conclusion: This review demonstrates that several psychological factors affect cardiovascular function. An in-depth study of the psychological correlates of CVDs would allow healthcare professionals to design more effective prevention and intervention programs.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; anxiety; cardiovascular diseases; depression; stress coping strategies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

References

    1. AbuRuz M. E. (2019). Pre-operative depression predicted longer hospital length of stay among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Risk Manag. Healthc. Policy 12, 75–83. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S190511, PMID: - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. AbuRuz M. E., Momani A., Shajrawi A. (2021). The association between depressive symptoms and length of hospital stay following coronary artery bypass graft is moderated by perceived control. Risk Manag. Healthc. Policy 14, 1499–1507. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S306162, PMID: - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ai A., Hall D., Bolling S. F. (2012). Interleukin-6 and hospital length of stay after open-heart surgery. Biol. Psichiatr. Psichofarmakol. 14, 79–82, PMID: - PMC - PubMed
    1. Al'Absi M., Ginty A. T., Lovallo W. R. (2021). Neurobiological mechanisms of early life adversity, blunted stress reactivity and risk for addiction. Neuropharmacology 188:108519. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108519, PMID: - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Al-Qezweny M. N. A., Utens E. M. W. J., Dulfer K., Hazemeijer B. A. F., Van Geuns R. J., Daemen J., et al. . (2016). The association between type D personality, and depression and anxiety ten years after PCI. Netherlands Hear. J. 24, 538–543. doi: 10.1007/s12471-016-0860-4, PMID: - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources