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Psychosocial Factors and Cardiovascular Disease

A number of related psychosocial factors appear to confer risk for the development of hypertension and coronary heart disease. Examples include hostility, low social support, anxiety, and depression. Psychological factors are also implicated in cardiac patient self-management and ultimately, health outcomes. Research in the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Laboratory focuses on depression, anxiety, cognitive deficits, posttraumatic stress, and low social support. Recently, we have had an increasing emphasis on patient self-management and in particular medication adherence, which often uses telemedicine approaches (e.g., remote monitoring, mHealth). Some of this research is conducted at local hospitals. For example, where we collaborate with investigators at the Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at University Hospitals of Cleveland and the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. The ultimate goal of this line of research is to improve efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases.