Chronic Disorders (including heart disease)

Question 1

Minimum length of time a condition must last before it considered chronic

Answer 1

3 months

Question 2

How many (out of 10) American adults have a chronic disease? How many have two or more?

Answer 2

6/10 have one; 4/10 have at least two

Question 3

Most common chronic diseases (there are 6)

Answer 3

Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, stroke , Alzheimer’s, kidney disease

Question 4

General focus of chronic disease treatment

Answer 4

Symptom management, in addition to or in lieu of curative measures

Question 5

A four-week delay in cancer treatment onset increases mortality rate by ____%

Answer 5

6-8%

Question 6

Rates of anxiety and depression in people with chronic diseases

Answer 6

Increased from the general population (up to 1 in 3 chronic disease patients also experience depression)

Question 7

Self-rated health predicts death over and above ______ _______ indicators.

Answer 7

objective health

Question 8

Effect of social support on chronic illness

Answer 8

More family/friend interaction = better!

Question 9

Private self and chronic illness

Answer 9

Identity issues may occur with attained chronic health issues. May involve changes to hopes, goals, ambitions

Question 10

Psychological interventions for chronic diseases

Answer 10

Relaxation techniques, therapy, social support, support groups

Question 11

Leading Cause of Death in the US

Answer 11

Heart disease

Question 12

Coronary heart disease - def. and cause

Answer 12

Def: clogging of the arteries (due to poor diet and exercise and high stress), which places increased stress on the heart and is damaging to tissues

Cause: atherosclerosis

Question 13

Metabolic syndrome and heart disease

Answer 13

Group of conditions that increase risk for coronary heart disease (as well as diabetes and stroke). Three or more of the following: abdominal obesity, high BP, high blood sugar, high blood triglycerides, low HDL (good cholesterol)

Question 14

Personal risk factors for coronary heart disease

Answer 14

Demographics, stress, personality, depression

Question 15

Which area of the country has disproportionately high rates of heart disease-related deaths?

Answer 15

The southern states, the top three being:

1. Mississippi
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
   (GA is at 15)

Question 16

In the states where heart disease deaths are disprportionately common, how does their healthcare rank.

Answer 16

Mississippi: 50/50
Arkansas: 49/50
Oklahoma: 48/50
(GA is 43/50)

Question 17

Developing coronary heart disease before age ___ is rare

Answer 17

50 years old

Question 18

__% of coronary heart disease deaths are in adults ages 65 or older

Answer 18

80%

Question 19

Which biological sex is more likely to die from heart disease?

Answer 19

Males (but the difference is not as large as one may think). Difference is possibly due to higher rate of obesity among males

Question 20

*Direct and Indirect effects of stress on heart disease

Answer 20

Direct: chronic stress can induce the physiological changes associated with heart disease

Indirect: stress leads to lifestyle choices that increase one’s risk of heart disease

Question 21

Which type (A/B) is more likely to develop heart disease?

Answer 21

Type A (significantly!) mainly because of the hostility element of Type A

Question 22

Personality traits with protective effect against heart disease

Answer 22

Extraversion, agreeableness (linked with optimism), and conscientiousness

Question 23

Neuroticism and heart disease

Answer 23

Higher neuroticism appears to worsen the impact of heart disease

Question 24

Depression and heart disease

Answer 24

Mutual relationship (both increase each other)

Question 25

__% of patients with heart disease also heave depression

Answer 25

40%

Question 26

Additional life factors that impact heart disease (aside from diet and exercise)

Answer 26

Emotion-focused coping (improves recovery)
Social relationships/marriage (reduces severity)
Negative affectivity (predicts onset)

Question 27

Treatments for Heart Disease

Answer 27

Lifestyle changes, medicine (blood thinners, statins, others), sergery (stents, CABG, transplant [extreme])

Question 28

Effect of CBT on heart disease recovery

Answer 28

Reduces depression, anxiety, BMI; improves physical and mental functioning