When the Mind Affects the Heart

Abstract

This article aims to theoretically discuss the relationship between psychosomatic symptoms and heart diseases. It was used, as research technique, the narrative literature review, unsystematic, which consisted in presenting an open theme. Many authors point out the influence of the mind over the body—especially through emotions, psychic conflicts, stress—as responsible for, or adjuvants in the etiopathogenesis of many diseases. Emotions are acute emotional reactions triggered by external or internal stimuli, usually accompanied by neurodegenerative, visceral, hormonal and vascular somatic reactions. The conclusion is that heart diseases are multidetermined, influenced by environmental, organic and psychodynamic conditions.