Cumulative stress and autonomic dysregulation in a community sample

Abstract

Whether cumulative stress, including both chronic stress and adverse life events, is associated with decreased heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive measure of autonomic status which predicts poor cardiovascular outcomes, is unknown. Healthy community dwelling volunteers, (N= 157, mean age 29 years) participated in the Cumulative Stress/Adversity Interview, (CAI) a 140-item event interview measuring cumulative adversity including major life events, life trauma, recent life events and chronic stressors, and underwent 24 hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. HRV was analyzed in the frequency domain and standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) calculated. Initial simple regression analyses revealed that total cumulative stress score, chronic stressors, and cumulative adverse life events (CALE) were all inversely associated with ultra low frequency (ULF), very low frequency (VLF), and low frequency (LF) power and SDNN (all p<0.05). In hierarchical regression analyses, total cumulative stress and chronic stress each was significantly associated with SDNN and ULF even after the high significant contribution of age and sex, with no other covariates accounting for additional appreciable variance. For VLF and LF, both total cumulative stress and chronic stress significantly contributed to the variance were no longer significant after adjusting for race and health behaviors. (p’s<.05). In summary, total cumulative stress, and its components of adverse life events and chronic stress were associated with decreased cardiac autonomic function as measured by HRV. Findings suggest one potential mechanism by which stress may exert adverse effects on mortality in healthy individuals. Primary preventive strategies including stress management may prove beneficial.

Which psychological, psychophysiological, and anthropometric factors are connected with life events, depression, and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease

“…There are several findings from other authors that confirm the results of the present study. Our results correspond with the results of the study of Lampert et al 73 that showed that total cumulative stress score and cumulative adverse life events were all inversely associated with standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN), which is linked to the parasympathetic tone. High-frequency variability may be significantly reduced in the patients with depression, indicating that depressive patients have an aberration in the parasympathetic nervous system activity.…”

Autonomic function in gastroparesis and chronic unexplained nausea and vomiting: Relationship with etiology, gastric emptying, and symptom severity

“…The ANS and symptoms of gastroparesis can be altered by many factors, including age, gender, disease, stress, and medications. We hypothesize that autonomic dysfunction plays a role in the gastric motility and symptom severity of patients with gastroparesis and CUNV.…”

End-of-day reports of daily hassles and stress in men and women with opioid-use disorder: Relationship to momentary reports of opioid and cocaine use and stress

“…A unique strength of this research is its focus on daily hassles and minor stressors, which are recognized as important to overall health but have not been thoroughly studied in the context of addiction and relapse. Cumulative stressful life events and chronic stress are associated with decreased cardiac autonomic function in healthy adults (Lampert et al, 2016). Among patients with Crohn’s disease, daily hassles are associated with increased disease activity, reduced quality of life, and lower economic status (Sarid et al, 2018).…”