The Impact of Psychological Functioning on Cardiovascular Disease
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CORONARY HEART DISEASE (S. VIRANI AND S. NADERI, SECTION EDITOR)
The Impact of Psychological Functioning on Cardiovascular Disease Kevin S. Masters 1
&
Jonathan A. Shaffer 1 & Kaitlyn M. Vagnini 1
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Purpose of Review We report on recent findings pertaining to the relationship of both negative and positive indicators of psychological functioning with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and briefly describe possible mechanistic pathways to account for these relationships. Recent Findings A body of observational literature suggests that (1) depression is predictive of CVD and is a consequence of CVD; (2) anxiety is related to CVD but the precise nature of this relationship remains unclear; and (3) negative affectivity and Type D personality are constructs that combine aspects of negative psychological functioning that have shown relationships with CVD and are worthy of future investigation. Positive psychological constructs of meaning/purpose and optimism predict better cardiovascular outcomes and other positive psychological constructs have received promising, but limited, attention in the literature. Summary Key remaining questions concern the magnitude and directionality of possible causal relationships as well as the mechanisms accounting for them. Keywords Cardiovascular disease . Depression . Meaning in life . Anxiety . Optimism . Purpose in life
Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the USA, taking more than 645,000 lives per year, and causing about one in every four deaths [1]. An increasing body of literature suggests that psychological and behavioral factors affect cardiovascular function. Investigators have identified a number of behavior-based CVD risk factors, including smoking, unhealthy diet, and inactive lifestyle. An estimated 80% of CVDs are considered preventable through engaging in healthy behaviors, such as eating a healthy diet, participating in adequate physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and abstaining from smoking [2]. Well-known CVD risk factors, such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cigarette smoking, are highly influenced by behavioral practices, and behavior, itself, is influenced by psychological characteristics and functioning. This article is part of the Topical Collection on Coronary Heart Disease * Kevin S. Masters [email protected] 1
Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
However, these psychological factors have received somewhat less attention in the medical literature regarding their possible influence on the development and progression of CVD. Nevertheless, there has been a growing literature investigating the role of mental disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression) and negative psychological factors (e.g., negative affect including hostility, anger, and Type D personality) on CVD morbidity and mortality. In this review, we will highlight recent research (within in the last 5 years) on an
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