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Role of Stress in Cardiac Arrhythmias

Vladimir Shusterman1, Rachel Lampert1

  • 1University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine.

Journal of Atrial Fibrillation
|May 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Stress significantly impacts heart rhythm, triggering arrhythmias through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This review examines how psychological and circadian stressors affect ANS activity and contribute to atrial arrhythmias.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Stress is a primary factor in triggering cardiac arrhythmias.
  • Stressors affect cardiac electrophysiology and rhythm via the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
  • Autonomic cardiovascular responses to stressors share common properties, allowing independent study.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical and experimental evidence linking common stressors to atrial arrhythmias.
  • To describe the impact of psychological and circadian stressors on ANS activity and arrhythmogenesis.
  • To examine the relationship between autonomic cardiovascular responses and cardiac arrhythmias.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical evidence.
  • Review of experimental studies.
  • Analysis of studies in ambulatory and laboratory settings.

Main Results:

  • Stressors significantly influence cardiac electrophysiology and rhythm.
  • Psychological and circadian stressors modulate ANS activity, promoting arrhythmogenesis.
  • Evidence links autonomic cardiovascular responses to atrial arrhythmias in various settings.

Conclusions:

  • Stress is a critical determinant of cardiac arrhythmia development.
  • Understanding the ANS response to stressors is key to managing atrial arrhythmias.
  • Further research on autonomic cardiovascular responses can elucidate arrhythmia mechanisms.

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