The Brain-Heart Connection: How Inhibition Relates to Cardiovascular Disease

项目摘要/摘要 失去配偶被认为是人们所能遇到的最有压力的经历。在面对损失时， 人们在生理和情绪上都有失调。因此，失去亲人的人面临更大的风险。 死亡的威胁。事实上，在配偶死亡后的六个月内，死亡率从40%到100%不等， 心血管疾病(CVD)占死亡人数的20%-53%。然而，并不是所有的人都经历过 输了之后身体上和情绪上都有困难。更好地了解与以下方面相关的机制 亏损后的调整对于提供旨在减少健康差距的干预措施很重要。 承受更大压力的人，比如那些面临损失的人，表现出高度的炎症性 与那些压力较小的人相比，他们的反应更好。重要的是，炎症是所有阶段的预测指标。 从最初的病变到终末期血栓并发症。因此，由于失去亲人的人在 增加压力的风险，炎症可能是导致CVD的一个关键机制。 丧失亲人的人报告抑郁症状的风险也增加，与健康相关的风险较低 生活质量(HRQOL)。抑郁和HRQOL是相互关联的，都是心血管疾病的可靠危险因素。 在失去亲人的人中，沉思可能是炎症、抑郁和HRQOL的关键因素。 沉思被定义为反复地将注意力集中在令人沮丧的想法上，并已被发现 与亏损后的不良调整有关。重要的是，有些人很难停下来 即使在积极尝试的时候，他们也不会反省自己。抑制的认知技能 区分那些能够阻止自己沉思的人和那些不能这样做的人。抑制是 指的是克制自己不去沉思等自然本能的能力。那些贫困的人 抑制已被发现存在炎症和抑郁加重的风险，以及较差的HRQOL。 重要的是，抑制是一种可以改变的技能，抑制能力的提高与减少有关 沉思。因此，检查抑制与炎症、抑郁和HRQOL有关 在失去亲人之后，可能会加深我们对失去亲人的心血管疾病风险的理解。这个项目是建立在 纵向研究抑制与炎症、抑郁和HRQOL相关的初步发现 在失去亲人的人群中。参与者将是最近去世的个人的配偶。指标 在2个月、4个月、6个月和12个月收集抑制、炎症、抑郁和HRQOL 在配偶去世几个月后。如果抑制与CVD潜在的假想机制有关 风险，那么，应激个体可能受益于针对改善抑制的干预措施。是这样的 对于那些面临低抑制率的人来说，实施干预措施可能特别重要 压力很大的经历，比如失败。

Project Summary/Abstract The loss of a spouse is rated as the most stressful experience one can encounter. In the face of a loss, people are physiologically and emotionally dysregulated. As a result, bereaved individuals are at increased risk of mortality. Indeed, within six months after the death of a spouse, mortality rates range from 40-100%, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounting for 20-53% of these deaths. However, not all individuals experience physical and emotional difficulties after a loss. A better understanding of the mechanisms associated with adjustment following a loss is important for informing interventions aimed at reducing health disparities. People experiencing increased stress, such as those faced with a loss, exhibit heightened inflammatory responses in comparison to those who are less stressed. Importantly, inflammation is a predictor of all stages of CVD from initial lesion to end-stage thrombotic complications. Therefore, as bereaved individuals are at increased risk of being stressed, inflammation may be a key mechanism underlying CVD following a loss. Bereaved individuals are also at increased risk of reporting symptoms of depression and low health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Depression and HRQOL are interrelated, and both are reliable risk factors for CVD. Rumination may be a key contributor to inflammation, depression, and HRQOL among the bereaved. Rumination is defined as repeatedly focusing one’s attention on distressing thoughts, and has been found to be associated with poor adjustment following a loss. Importantly, some people have difficulty stopping themselves from ruminating, even when actively attempting to do so. The cognitive skill of inhibition differentiates individuals who are able to stop themselves from ruminating from those who are not. Inhibition is defined as the ability to restrain oneself from engaging in natural instincts such as ruminating. Those with poor inhibition have been found to be at risk for heightened inflammation and depression, as well as poor HRQOL. Importantly, inhibition is a modifiable skill and improvements in inhibition are associated with decreased rumination. As a result, examination of inhibition as it relates to inflammation, depression, and HRQOL following a loss may further our understanding of CVD risk among the bereaved. This project builds upon preliminary findings to longitudinally examine inhibition as it relates to inflammation, depression, and HRQOL among the bereaved. Participants will be spouses of individuals who recently passed away. Indicators of inhibition, inflammation, depression, and HRQOL will be collected at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the spouse’s death. If inhibition is associated with the hypothesized mechanisms underlying CVD risk, then stressed individuals may benefit from exposure to interventions targeting improved inhibition. Such interventions may be especially important to implement among those with low inhibition that are faced with stressful experiences such as a loss.