Since then, research has further refined and expanded our understanding of the relationship between emotions and heart disease. Hostility as well as conflicts about expressing one's anger may have more specific predictive value. Anxiety or other stress may be associated with an increased rate of sudden cardiac events. Individuals who are more isolated or who are over-worked are more likely to develop heart problems.
Stress can lead first to intermittent and then to constant high blood pressure.
Mental stress has been shown to cause decreased blood flow to the heart. If an individual with cardiac disease is depressed, he or she is much more likely to have a subsequent heart attack. Some researchers suggest that it is critical for all cardiac patients to be carefully evaluated for depression. If depression is present, it should be treated carefully and completely. Hypnosis, relaxation, and other anxiety-reduction techniques can reduce blood pressure and reduce cardiac risk.