Psychological stress
Associations with medical illnesses
The associations between psychological stress and medical illnesses may be due to either subtle physiological changes induced by the stress, or may be due to the stress leading to increased seeking of medical care.[1]
Coronary disease
A prospective cohort study found "Chronic job strain after a first MI (myocardial infarction) was associated with an increased risk of recurrent CHD [[[coronary heart disease]]].[2]
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Psychological stress may lead to physiologic abnormalities in the esophagus.[3]
Irritable bowel syndrome
There is increased incidence of psychological diagnoses in patients with irritable bowel[1], but it is not clear whether psychological issues contribute to irritable bowel, irritable bowel can cause psychological stress, or whether psychological stress lowers the patient's threshold to see medical care.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Herschbach P, Henrich G, von Rad M (1999). "Psychological factors in functional gastrointestinal disorders: characteristics of the disorder or of the illness behavior?". Psychosomatic medicine 61 (2): 148–53. PMID 10204966. [e]
- ↑ Aboa-Eboulé C, Brisson C, Maunsell E, et al (2007). "Job strain and risk of acute recurrent coronary heart disease events". JAMA 298 (14): 1652–60. DOI:10.1001/jama.298.14.1652. PMID 17925517. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Farré R, De Vos R, Geboes K, et al (2007). "Critical role of stress in increased oesophageal mucosa permeability and dilated intercellular spaces". Gut 56 (9): 1191–7. DOI:10.1136/gut.2006.113688. PMID 17272649. Research Blogging.