Stress And Physcial Activity

Question 1

What is a myocardial infarction?

Answer 1

Where a blockage (typically from CHD) is present in the coronary artery, cutting off the supply of oxygen rich blood to the heart

Question 2

Can stress cause heart attacks?

Answer 2

Yes study had showed that mental-stress induced ischaemia occurs in most CHD patients

Question 3

What are the mechanisms of stress triggering heart attacks?

Answer 3

-Haemodynamics - increased heart rate, blood pressure and vascular resistance

• rheology -increased blood viscosity
• coagulation - increased clotting factors and lipids

-inflammation

Question 4

How can exercise reduce the risk of an MI?

Answer 4

Lowering risk factors measured at rest

Reducing the reactivity to stress

Question 5

How does an individual lower the resting levels of risk factors?

Answer 5

Lower inflammation
Improved endothelial function
A reduced cardiovascular risk profile

Question 6

What did a study looking at stress reactivity find?

Answer 6

That when male students were put through mental arithmetic and sub-maximal exercise they experienced increased heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output

Question 7

What did Sherwood et al (1989) find when looking at exercise interventions and stress reactivity in unhealthy people

Answer 7

For those with borderline hypertension - resulted in lower bp, hr and vascular resistance

For those with establish hypertension - lower bp,hr and vascular resistance

For cardiac patients - improved cardiac function and improved cardiac response to mental stress