Psychosomatic aspects in individuals with normal blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy

Objective. The objective was to study the relationship between psychological and emotional features, hormonal changes and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in subjects with normal blood pressure (BP).

Design and methods. The study included 107 practically healthy people of working age from an organized population, including 46 men (mean age 43,7 ± 11,5 years) and 61 women (mean age 43,1 ± 10,1 years). In all subjects, fasting blood samples for hormone level evaluation were taken, structural myocardial changes were assessed by echocardiography, BP measurement was performed according to the standard procedure, and validated psychological questionnaires were completed.

Results. Subjects with LVH showed a high level of accumulated stress according to the Holmes-Rahe scale and low vitality according to the visual analog scale. They were also characterized by significant changes in the ratio noradrenaline/adrenaline, and by the elevated cortisol levels. Biochemical parameters and structural and functional myocardial characteristics correlated with the psychological factors in a gender-dependent manner.

Conclusions. In psychoemotional stress, triggered stress reactions are accompanied by metabolic changes (involving neurotransmitter mechanisms, growth factors), and, as suggested, by structural myocardial changes. The investigation of stress reactions within the psychosomatic continuum is highly important in order to understand how the stress affects the development and the course of various diseases, as well as for the development of an integrated approach to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases.

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