The link between psychological stress and heart disease

Neuroendocrine function and inflammatory cytokine responses to acute psychological stress and cardiovascular disease risk

Psychological stress is thought to be linked to the development of coronary heart disease. Stress stimulates vascular inflammation, a process involved in atherosclerosis. But stress also leads to the releases of the hormone cortisol which regulates inflammation. In some people, this regulatory process does not seem to function correctly, leading to high levels of inflammatory proteins (cytokines) in the circulation. This PhD studentship, based at University College London, will test the possibility that desensitisation of cell receptors for cortisol, where they don’t respond to cortisol, is responsible for this inflammatory activation after stress. The student will test the role of cortisol receptor sensitivity in the reduction of inflammation following acute stress in studies involving human volunteers. They will also assess the effects of drugs that target the underlying processes, including aspirin and the beta-blocker propranolol. The studies will provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the link between stress and cardiovascular disease, and may identify new ways of preventing or treating stress induced heart problems.