Stress Management and Physiological Risks Flashcards

25 vocabulary flashcards covering effective stress management techniques, counterproductive coping strategies, and psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular health based on the lecture material.

Biofeedback

A stress management technique in which an individual learns to exert voluntary control over certain functions of the autonomic nervous system.

Rest and Sleep Recommendations

Stress management guidelines specifying $7\text{--}9\text{ hours}$ of sleep per night and $15\text{--}30\text{ minutes}$ of rest per day.

Spiritual Wellness

A state achieved through social support, healthy habits, positive attitudes, and moments of relaxation that provides an ethical path to personal fulfillment.

Nicotine Dependence

A condition resulting from tobacco use that is classified as a psychological disorder.

Comfort Eaters

Individuals who use unhealthy eating habits as a coping strategy, making them $2\times$ as likely to be obese.

Carbohydrates as Comfort

A coping mechanism using carbs that may reduce the stress response by promoting the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

Caffeine Effects

Counterproductive coping effects including raised cortisol levels and blood pressure (BP), as well as disrupted sleep.

Amphetamines

A counterproductive substance that activates the body's stress response.

Marijuana Effects

Effects including brief periods of euphoria, decreased short term memory and attention span, enhanced stress response, and potential panic attacks with frequent use.

Opioids

Substances such as morphine and heroin that mimic natural painkillers, reduce anxiety, rapidly develop tolerance, and lead to dependence in many users.

Ischemia Trigger

Mental stress, which acts as a trigger for ischemia about as powerfully as strenuous exercise.

Irritability and Anger

Psychosocial factors that increase the risk of hypertension, premature heart disease, and heart attack in men.

Type A Personality Characteristics

Traits that increase the risk of hypertension in young adults.

Minor Depression (CHD Risk)

A psychosocial condition associated with a $1\text{--}2\text{-fold}$ increase in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk.

Major Depression (CHD Risk)

A psychosocial condition associated with a $3\text{--}5\text{-fold}$ increase in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk.

Social Isolation (CHD Onset)

An independent risk factor associated with a $2\text{--}3\text{-fold}$ increase in the risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) onset.

Social Isolation (CHD Prognosis)

An independent risk factor associated with a $3\text{--}5\text{-fold}$ increase in the risk for poor Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) prognosis.

High Anger Scale Score

A metric among people with normal blood pressure that correlates to being $3\times$ more likely to have suffered heart attacks or sudden cardiac death.

Stress (INTERHEART Study Definition)

Feeling irritable, filled with anxiety, or having sleep difficulties as a result of conditions at work or home.

Permanent Stress at Home

A psychological risk factor associated with a $> 2.1\times$ risk of heart attack in the INTERHEART Study.

Effort-Reward Mismatch

A job stress condition identified in the Whitehall II Study associated with a $2.15\text{-fold}$ increase in risk for new coronary disease in men.

Whitehall II High-Risk Subjects

Individuals characterized as competitive, hostile, overcommitted at work, having poor promotion prospects, and blocked careers.

Unhealthy Eating Habits Effects

Immediate effects resulting from unhealthy eating strategies, specifically satiation and sedation.

Conventional CHD Risk Factors

Traditional cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension.

Cognitive Techniques

Stress management strategies that include thinking and acting constructively, taking control, problem-solving, modifying expectations, staying positive, cultivating a sense of humor, and focusing on what is important.