Our eastern neighbors have long recognized the mind-body connection in the role of health, a concept which has been largely ignored by western medicine which traditionally treats the body as being separate from the mind or emotions. This western philosophy, as least as it relates to heart disease, may be changing. A new discipline within the field of cardiology, behavioral cardiology, is on the rise and brings a new approach to preventing and treating heart disease.
Rather than focusing on simply the physical aspects of heart disease, behavioral cardiology focuses on not only physical factors which contribute to heart disease but the psychosocial stressors which may impact the progression of heart disease as well. Most of us are aware that there are many contributing factors to heart disease such as high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking, some of which are caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices. A behavioral cardiologist looks not only at these physical factors which may impact your heart health but the causes behind our unhealthy lifestyles, and the psychosocial stressors which we may encounter on a day to day basis.
Psychosocial stressors can include a wide variety of mood and emotional issues including, anger, type A behavior, stress, anxiety, depression and social isolation. One of the major psychosocial stressors is stress itself. Stress can come in more than one form ranging from sudden emotional stress (death in family, serious accident) to full blown day-to-day chronic stress (work, home, finances).
Most of us can probably relate to some of these psychosocial stressors on one level or another. Just because we experience chronic stress, or we’re a Type A personality, or have on going depression, does that really put us at greater risk for developing heart disease? Yes, it does.
Many now consider these psychosocial stressors to be on the same level as physical risk factors when it comes to developing heart disease or recovering after a cardiac event. According to Harvard Medical School, these psychosocial stressors act as a two-way conduit between the mind and body. Psychosocial stressors negatively impact your heart health by contributing to or even causing atherosclerosis, triggering sudden heart attacks and in impairing your ability to recover after a cardiac event. In turn, the health and heart issues created by psychosocial stressors make you feel bad emotionally, thereby creating an unending circle.
What is the solution? Behavioral cardiologist work to break the cycle by treating not only the heart, but the psychosocial stressors which are contributing to heart disease as well. Balance in dealing with our emotions, particularly negative emotions (anger, anxiety, hostility) is key for a full recovery. According to Dr. Laura Kubzansky (Harvard School of Public Health, “The point is not to eliminate particular negative emotions, but to regulate them better, either to integrate them or bring them into balance with positive emotions or behaviors.”
Just as you do with physical risk factors, you can improve your heart health by working to improve any psychosocial stressors which may be present. For example, one woman shared with me that to deal with her chronic stress, she goes for a massage every other week. Another girlfriend takes a yoga class twice a week to work through chronic stress. For depression, another friend purchased a gym membership and works out on a schedule which helps relieve her depression symptoms. Without realizing it, by addressing their psychosocial stressors, these women are also improving their heart health.
Each person is unique and the psychosocial stressors will differ from person to person as will the solution. Doctors should be asking the questions about these stressors in your life but since the discipline is so new, they may not be educated themselves on the impact the mind has on your heart and health. If you have psychosocial stressors in your life, then take the lead with your doctor in discussing how these factors may impact your heart health.
Until next time, here’s wishing you a healthy heart.
Sources:
T Pickering, L Clemow, K Davidson, W Gerin, Behavioral cardiology - - has its time finally arrived?, Mar 2003, PubMed.gov, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12634902
Heart Disease: It’s partly in your head, Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Heart_disease_Its_partly_in_your_head.htm