People with ADHD were considered to have DESR if they also reported emotional-control symptoms that were worse than those reported by 95% of a large comparison group of people without ADHD. More than half of those with ADHD enrolled in the study (55%) were also emotionally reactive.
If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.
How stress leads to a strain on the heart. By FIONA MACRAE, science reporter. Last updated at 23:53 09 April 2007. Stress could be responsible for many heart problems, researchers say. Their findings could help explain what triggers irregular heartbeats, which can lead to heart attacks and sudden death. A study of brain activity in those with heart conditions revealed that the cortex - a region associated with learning, memory and emotion - controls the heart during times of stress.