Is stress linked to heart disease? The evidence grows stronger.

Abstract

Acute stress caused by strong emotions such as fear can sometimes cause sudden death in people with underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). Chronic mental stress may also promote the long-term development of coronary disease, although the distinction between Type A and Type B personalities appears overly simplistic. Stress-management interventions measurably improve CAD patients' performance on cardiac function tests, and should be incorporated more often in standard cardiac rehabilitation programs.