Psychosomatic medicine
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Psychosomatic medicine · Sep 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialCognitive-affective symptoms of depression after myocardial infarction: different prognostic importance across age groups.
Cognitive-affective symptoms of depression may not be as strongly related to prognosis after myocardial infarction (MI) as somatic depressive symptoms. Because it is not known whether this pattern of results is influenced by the age at which patients are diagnosed as having MI, we examined whether the importance of these symptoms is age dependent in the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease study. ⋯ Somatic symptoms and hopelessness independently predicted death/MI in MI patients younger than 70 years. Research needs to reexamine the modulating effect of age in studies on somatic and cognitive-affective symptoms of post-MI depression.
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Psychosomatic medicine · Sep 2013
Stress-induced inflammatory responses in women: effects of race and pregnancy.
African Americans experience preterm birth at nearly twice the rate of whites. Chronic stress associated with minority status is implicated in this disparity. Inflammation is a key biological pathway by which stress may affect birth outcomes. This study examined the effects of race and pregnancy on stress-induced inflammatory responses. ⋯ This study provides novel evidence that stress-induced inflammatory responses are more robust among African American women versus whites during pregnancy and nonpregnancy. The ultimate impact of stress on health is a function of stressor exposure and physiological responses. Individual differences in stress-induced inflammatory responses represent a clear target for continued research efforts in racial disparities in health during pregnancy and nonpregnancy.