Subjects' Recent Life Changes and Coronary Heart Disease in Finland
RICHARD H. RAHE 1,
LINDA BENNETT 2,
RANSOM J. ARTHUR 3,
MATTI ROMO M.D.4, , and
PENTTI SILTANEN M.D.5
1 Head of the Biochemical Correlates Division, U.S. Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, San Diego, Calif. 92152
2 Research Asscociate, U.S. Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, San Diego, Calif. 92152
3 Commanding Officer, U.S. Navy Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, San Diego, Calif. 92152
4 Principal Investigator of the Ischemic Heart Disease Register
5 Medical Director of the Finnish Heart Association, Helsinki, Finland
Data on recent life changes were gathered for 279 survivors of myocardial infarction and 226 victims of sudden coronary death in Helsinki, Finland. Subjects in both groups experienced a significant increase in recent life changes during the six months prior to infarction or death compared with the same six-month period one year earlier. Subjects were compared according to whether they had shown marked, moderate, or no increase in recent life changes. The authors point out the usefulness of including data on precipitating factors in prospective studies of coronary heart disease along with data on such physical risk factors as serum cholesterol levels and systolic blood pressure.
