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Stress and Cardiovascular Disease pp 31–53Cite as

Cardiovascular and Autonomic Responses to Stress

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Abstract

The cardiovascular system typically adapts to acute mental stress by a response ­pattern called the “defense reaction” which serves to prepare the organism for fight or flight.1,2 The changes associated with the defense reaction provide short term survival benefit, but they may also provoke acute cardiovascular complications, as discussed in Chap. 9 on the triggering of plaque rupture, and Chap. 10 on stress cardiomyopathy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Solna, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital/Solna, Stockholm, Sweden

    Paul Hjemdahl

  2. Hypertension Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Division, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Murray Esler

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  1. Paul Hjemdahl
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  2. Murray Esler
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Correspondence to Paul Hjemdahl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Karolinska Hospital, Dept. Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 171 76, Sweden

    Paul Hjemdahl

  2. St Georges Hospital Medical School, Dept. Psychology, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, United Kingdom

    Andrew Steptoe

  3. Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Göteborg, SE-416 85, Sweden

    Annika Rosengren

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Hjemdahl, P., Esler, M. (2011). Cardiovascular and Autonomic Responses to Stress. In: Hjemdahl, P., Steptoe, A., Rosengren, A. (eds) Stress and Cardiovascular Disease. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-419-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-419-5_3

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