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Bremner JD, Campanella C, Khan Z, Shah M, Hammadah M, Wilmot K, Mheid IA, Lima BB, Garcia EV, Nye J, Ward L, Kutner MH, Raggi P, Pearce BD, Shah A, Quyyumi A, Vaccarino V. Brain Correlates of Mental Stress-Induced Myocardial Ischemia. Psychosom Med 2019; 80:515-525. [PMID: 29794945 PMCID: PMC6023737 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and despite important advances in our understanding of this disorder, the underlying mechanisms remain under investigation. Recently, increased attention has been placed on the role of behavioral factors such as emotional stress on CAD risk. Brain areas involved in memory and the stress response, including medial prefrontal cortex, insula, and parietal cortex, also have outputs to the peripheral cardiovascular system. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of mental stress on brain and cardiac function in patients with CAD. METHODS CAD patients (N = 170) underwent cardiac imaging with [Tc-99m] sestamibi single-photon emission tomography at rest and during a public speaking mental stress task. On another day, they underwent imaging of the brain with [O-15] water positron emission tomography (PET) during mental stress (arithmetic and public speaking) and control conditions. RESULTS Patients with mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia showed increased activation with stress in anterior cingulate, inferior frontal gyrus, and parietal cortex (p < .005). This was seen with both arithmetic stress and public speaking stress. Arithmetic stress was additionally associated with left insula activation, and public speaking with right pre/postcentral gyrus and middle temporal gyrus activation (p < .005). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia is associated with activation in brain areas involved in the stress response and autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system. Altered brain reactivity to stress could possibly represent a mechanism through which stress leads to increased risk of CAD-related morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Carolina Campanella
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Zehra Khan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Majid Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Muhammad Hammadah
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kobina Wilmot
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ibhar Al Mheid
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Bruno B. Lima
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ernest V. Garcia
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Jonathon Nye
- Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Laura Ward
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael H. Kutner
- Department Biostatistics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paolo Raggi
- Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brad D. Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amit Shah
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Arshed Quyyumi
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anxiety and depression are risk factors for obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), but their effects on coronary artery spasm (CAS) remain unestablished. METHODS Patient records in this population-based study were retrospectively collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Using propensity score matching, we used 1:1:1 ratio stratification into a control group of 10,325 individuals without CAS or CAD, a CAS group comprising 10,473 patients, and a CAD group comprising 10,473 patients during 2000-2012. RESULTS The prevalence of CAS and CAD was 0.067% and 8.7%, respectively, in the general population. The prevalence of anxiety and depression diagnoses was significantly higher in patients with new-onset CAS than in those with new-onset CAD and controls without CAS/CAD, even after propensity score matching. Compared with CAD, anxiety and depression diagnoses conferred a higher risk of developing CAS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.29, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.14-2.45, p < .001, and OR = 1.34, 95% CI, 1.08-1.66, p = .007, respectively). The association was even stronger when comparing CAS with the control group without CAD or CAS (OR = 5.20, 95% CI, 4.72-5.74, p < .001, and OR = 1.98, 95% CI, 1.50-2.62, p < .001, respectively). The increased risk of new-onset CAS as related to previous anxiety and depression diagnoses was comparable between males and females. CONCLUSIONS Compared with CAD or the general population, anxiety and depression diagnoses confer a higher risk of developing CAS. No sex differences are found for the association of anxiety and depression with CAS.
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