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Brief report: coronary heart disease: an unknown association to pathological gambling

Candice Germain1, Alec Vahanian, Anne Basquin

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Maison Blanche Hospital Paris, France.

Frontiers in Psychiatry
|May 11, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Pathological gambling is linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This study found more cases of pathological gambling in patients with CHD compared to those without, suggesting a significant association.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Pathological gambling (PG) is associated with elevated stress, depression, and substance use.
  • These factors may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between pathological gambling and coronary heart disease.
  • To assess the prevalence of PG in patients with CHD.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed pathological gambling using DSM-IV-TR criteria and the South Oaks Gambling Screen scale.
  • Compared PG prevalence in 73 CHD patients with 61 non-coronary patients.

Main Results:

  • Six cases (8.2%) of PG were identified in the CHD group.
  • One case of problem gambling was found in the CHD group.
  • No cases of PG or problem gambling were found in the non-coronary group (p=0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Pathological gambling is significantly associated with coronary heart disease.
  • The study did not find PG to be linked with higher alcohol, nicotine consumption, or sensation-seeking.
  • Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of this association.

Keywords:
alcoholcoronary heart diseasegamblingnicotinestress

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