Although a number of studies have demonstrated a link between alcohol intake and blood pressure, virtually no research has examined this relationship or the relevance of psychosocial variables in this context over time. This study utilized data from 416 subjects in the Air Traffic Controller Health Change Study to track these associations across five examinations over a 3-year period. Following obesity, alcohol consumption was consistently the second-best predictor of blood pressure. Alcohol intake rose among those subjects who developed sustained elevated blood pressure during the course of the study. Further, obesity became less important in predicting blood pressure at higher levels of alcohol intake. Factors predictive of alcohol use were also studied, and the suggestion is made that psychosocial variables may be linked primarily to alcohol use, which in turn combines with obesity to influence blood pressure levels.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Quantifying and predicting recovery after heart surgery.

The validity of the biopsychosocial approach to the study of health and illness is reaffirmed by the prospective findings of the Recovery Study. This is a multidisciplinary examination, conducted in four teaching hospitals, of the predictors of symptoms of cardiac illness in 463 patients 6 months after coronary artery bypass or cardiac valve surgery. We found that the following preoperative measures predict freedom from cardiac symptoms 6 months after surgery: low levels of all of the following: angina pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and sleep problems, lifetime cigarette usage, and preoperative hospitalization for cardiac treatment; low levels of anxiety, depression, and hostility, and few life change events; high levels of all of the following: self-esteem, well-being, vigor; prevalence of activities and hobbies, social participation, and social support. The six variables in bold print contributed independently in a multiple regression equation that accounted for 21% of the variance of the symptoms score and was associated with an estimated 45% difference in success of recovery. The statistical strength and general nature of many of the predictors indicate that the predictors may also be important in recovery from other health crises. Psychosocial and biomedical factors correlate across time (predictively), as well as cross-sectionally, indicating that psychological, social, and biological mechanisms may be parts of a single general multifaceted process influencing recovery of health. A clinical trial could determine if psychological, social, or behavioral interventions will hasten and improve recovery from physical illness or trauma.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

"... While there's hope, there's life".

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Brain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sociosomatics gives insights into functional disorders.

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Cognition↗