Temporal evolution of lipids in reaction to various stressors in coronary and non-coronary subjects
Liesse, M.; Van Imschoot, K.; Mertens, C.; Lauwers, P.; van den Abbeele, K.G.
Acta Psychiatrica Belgica 80(1): 61-78
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-8967 PMID: 7457163 Document Number: 159379
In order to assess the impact of coronary disease on sequential physiological reactions to stress, this study compares 21 post myocardial infarction patients with 21 matching non-coronary subjects. In each group, levels of phospholipids, triglycerides, cholesterol, FFA, alpha-, beta, pre-beta-lipoproteins and the ratio cholesterol/triglycerides are assessed, six times consecutively in a timespan of 2 hours. Concomitantly, two stressful situations are induced: the first stress is catheterization, the second is a film implementing either a focused-or diffused anxiety. Phospholipids react essentially to catheterization stress. While the ratio cholesterol/triglycerides turns out to be sensitive to psychological stress, neither cholesterol nor triglycerides alter individually when psychological stress is present. Throughout the experiment, levels of beta-lipoproteins very significantly in time and with respect to the theme of the film attended; coronary patients do not show the same sequential variations as normal subjects do. Variations in alpha-lipoproteins differentiate coronary from normal subjects. Levels of FFA vary according to the nature of the film attended and differ in normal and coronary subjects: extreme values are observed in normal subjects rather than coronary patients. Hyperlipidemia, as a reaction to stress, is a process interlinked with many factors, each increasing the liability of coronary disease.