Mental stress — not the kind a typical stress test measures — could flag risk for second heart attacks

We’re all under stress, but for people who’ve had heart attacks, it’s different. Research to be presented at a virtual cardiology conference warns mental stress may be more likely than physical stress to set the stage for a second heart attack. Typical stress tests gauge blood flow to the heart during exercise. For the new, small study, researchers asked if hearts starved of oxygen following mental stress — simulated by public speaking before an intimidating audience — was a stronger signal of risk. Among 306 participants age 22 to 61 who were followed for three years, 20 people whose blood flow narrowed after the mental stress test had a heart attack or died of heart disease compared to 10 with narrowing after conventional stress testing.