title: Mental Stress and Ventricular Arrhythmias.
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.
authors: Yale University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, 789 Howard Avenue, Dana 319, 06520, New Haven, CT, USA. rachel.lampert@yale.edu.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Lampert
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Anger; Implantable cardioverter defibrillator; Mental stress; Sudden death; Ventricular arrhythmia