A recent study has paved the way for the development of a new cardiovascular reactivity risk score, which could improve the ability to identify high-risk patients under stress and accelerate their diagnosis and treatment for heart disease.

In the study, cardiovascular researchers from Emory University (Atlanta, GA, USA) collected data from 629 individuals between 2011 and 2016, examining three primary responses to a stress test conducted in a controlled environment. Stress tests are intended to simulate the real-life pressures that individuals often face. To replicate anxiety-inducing situations, the researchers asked participants to give a three-minute public presentation on an emotionally challenging topic, such as the mistreatment of a family member in a nursing home. During these presentations, the researchers closely monitored critical changes in heart activity and blood pressure, including how the blood vessels responded internally and how much the participants' blood vessels constricted. The findings from the tests, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, revealed how stress-related alterations in blood flow and blood vessel function are closely associated with heart disease. By measuring these physiological factors, the study helps identify individuals at higher risk for future cardiovascular events.

The analysis of the collected data showed that as the participants' stress responses intensified, their cardiovascular risk score for potential heart-related events also increased. These results are particularly notable because, until recently, there was no effective way to directly assess the impact of stress on heart disease. Clinicians had to rely largely on subjective patient reports of stress, which are often hard to quantify and prone to bias. This new study, along with similar efforts, aims to create a paradigm shift by pinpointing objective markers of stress responses. While the researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to determine how the cardiovascular reactivity risk score can improve patient care, they view this as a significant step forward. This approach represents a move towards a more personalized method of treatment, potentially transforming how doctors prevent and manage heart disease in their patients.

“By adopting protocols similar to those used in this study, we can routinely evaluate the impact of stress in cardiology clinics and better understand its effects on heart health,” said lead author Kasra Moazzami, MD. 

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