Coronary microvascular and endothelial function regulation: Crossroads of psychoneuroendocrine immunitary signals and quantum physics [Part A]

Abstract

Nowadays the heart can be considered as a psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunitary structure that constantly interacts with other organs through a dynamic dialogue made of neurotpeptides, hormones and cytokines. The exploration of microvascular function is important as predictive tool and as prognosis of cardiovascular risk and progression of heart failure. This review describes the present knowledge on whether neurotramitters, hormones and cytokines influence microvascular/endothelial function and its genetic and epigenetic background. The review, describing the rich network of connections acting every moment of our lives linking endothelial function to the psychophysical environment, leads then to the description of an endothelial cell functioning, with the look of quantum physics. All this allows to describe some actual scientific methodological and epistemiological problems that remain to be resolved in order to fully understand endothelial function regulation, and future research, prevention and treatment directions. In the end, we describe the "Integrative Medicine" approach (and its beneficial influences on endothelial function regulation) that has emerged as a potential solution to the crisis in the healthcare system of western countries. It provides care that is patient-centered and healing-oriented, stressing the use of treatments originating from both conventional and alternative medicine.

Ph, Electric Conductivity and Delayed Luminescence Changes in Human Sera of Subjects Undergoing the Relaxation Response: A Pilot Study

“…We emphasize that in our work we observed the RR using two conditioning techniques, meditation and music, which have to be considered as two ways leading to the same relaxation effect [29] . Therefore, even from a strictly methodological point of view, we used a unique technique -precisely the RR-, from which also the need to unite in a single "intervention group" the treated subjects.…”

“…As stated, in order to rule out that the disease state could interfere with the relaxation effect, we enrolled 10 healthy volunteers (5 were trained to meditate and 5 had music appreciation). The practices of meditation and music appreciation are able to produce the so called Relaxation Response (RR) in the same way [3,28,29] . The details of the RR techniques that we used and the description of their pathophysiological mechanism is described in our previous works [2,3,29] .…”

Thoughts modulate the expression of inflammatory genes and may improve the coronary blood flow in patients after a myocardial infarction

“…The sample size was calculated based on the following scenario: type-I error rate of 0.05, power 0.95, pre-post changes in blood pressure and markers of inflammation, after intervention, from baseline, represented by an effect size of 1.8 (on the basis of the studies in the literature recently reviewed 1 , 2 , 3 and of a previous exploratory study performed in our clinic). Using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test (matched pairs), 5 sick subjects are required to detect this difference.…”

“…Mental stress is one of the major etiological aspects of ischemic heart disease and all its risk factors. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 The persistent activation of the stress axis determines a state of low-grade chronic inflammation that feeds the atherosclerotic process and increases the risk of cardiovascular accidents. 1 , 2 , 3 …”

“…The numerous studies conducted so far in the field of meditation and music appreciation have associated to their practice a reduction in plasma concentration of hormones related to stress response (such as cortisol and norepinephrine), some inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress mediators. 1 , 2 , 3 However, such research, focusing on individual neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) mediators, do not offer an overview of how these biochemical messengers act in concert to determine the positive epidemiological effects related to the elicitation of the RR. Moreover, the final target of the NEI elements is cellular genome.…”