title: [The effect of public defense of a doctoral thesis on the heart rate of the doctoral candidate].
abstract: The effect of public defense of a doctoral thesis on the heart rate of the doctoral candidate Most doctoral candidates find the public defense of a doctoral thesis an exciting and stressful experience. In this study, Holter recording during the defense was made for four doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Medicine. Maximum heart rate among the subjects was on the average 172 beats/min with a median heart rate of 116 beats/min. Sympathicotonia and release of stress hormones associated with the defense raise the heart rate to levels that may be very high for several hours. This is a risk factor for a coronary event and should be considered, if the doctoral candidate has coronary heart disease, carries risk factors for coronary heart disease, or is an elderly person.
authors.affiliation: Terveystalo, Aninkaistenkatu 13, 20100 Turku.
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiljander
authors.forename: Jyri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toikka
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koskenvuo
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jaakkola
mesh_terms: D004212:Academic Dissertations as Topic; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*