Perceived stress and smoking-related behaviors and symptomatology in male and female smokers.

Introduction: Stress has been found to be a significant risk factor for cigarette smoking. Stress affects males and females differently, as does the use of smoking for stress reduction. Few studies have examined gender differences with the interrelation of perceived stress and smoking behaviors and nicotine related symptomatology.

Vascular and cardiac functional and structural screening to identify risk of future morbid events: preliminary observations.

Risk factors have served to identify patients in need of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy. Because of their limited sensitivity and specificity, we developed a screening program using noninvasive testing and a scoring system aimed at detecting functional and structural cardiovascular abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals. Ten cardiovascular tests were performed in 1 hour by a single technologist.

Relation of heart rate parameters during exercise test to sudden death and all-cause mortality in asymptomatic men.

Heart rate (HR) profile during exercise predicts all-cause mortality. However, less is known about its relation to sudden (vs nonsudden) death in asymptomatic people. The relation of exercise HR parameters (HR at rest, target HR achievement, HR increase, and HR recovery) with sudden death, coronary heart disease (CHD) death, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality was assessed in 12,555 men who participated in MRFIT.

Arterial elasticity as part of a comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk and drug treatment.

Early cardiovascular disease can be identified in asymptomatic individuals by noninvasive evaluation of functional and structural abnormalities of the vasculature and heart. These abnomalities are usually a consequence of endothelial dysfunction. A panel of 10 tests, including small and large artery elasticity, has been used as the basis for a screening system that provides a score of 0 to 20 as a guide to the severity of disease.