Memory accuracy in the recall of emotions.

Study tested whether Ss could accurately estimate the intensity and the relative frequency of their positive vs. negative emotions and the degree to which 1 dimension biases the recall of another. Ss completed mood reports at random moments each day or at the end of the day against which were compared their mood estimates. Estimates made prior to the mood-reporting periods were used to control for the effects of prolonged mood reporting. Various types of accuracy were examined: absolute, in which Ss overestimated their emotional intensity and underestimated the frequency of their positive affect vs. their negative affect; relative, in which Ss' relative frequency estimates were moderately accurate; and discriminant, in which intensity estimates were biased by actual frequency, whereas frequency estimates were unbiased by intensity. Ss' accuracy did not improve substantially following the daily recording of their moods, suggesting a problem at the retrieval stage. The theoretical and measurement implications of the results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Happiness and reminiscing: The role of time perspective, affect, and mode of thinking.

Conducted 3 experiments to determine the affect of reminiscing on reported well-being. 51 students at a professional school for translators and interpreters in Exp I and 36 undergraduates in Exp II recounted events that they had experienced as positive and pleasant or as negative and unpleasant. In Exp III, 64 undergraduates wrote down a particularly positive or negative event and then asked to explain either why or how this event occurred. Ss in all 3 experiments were then asked to rate their happiness and life satisfaction. Overall results indicate that Ss' ratings of general life satisfaction depended not only on the hedonic quality of the life experiences they happened to recall but also on the way in which they thought about them. Specifically, the hedonic quality of present life events influenced Ss' judgments of well-being in the same direction. The hedonic quality of past events, however, had a congruent impact on well-being judgments only when thinking about them elicited affect in the present but otherwise had a contrast effect on these judgments. Two factors were found to determine if thinking about the past elicits affect: whether Ss describe the events vividly and in detail or only mention them briefly, and whether Ss describe how the events occurred rather than why they occurred. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Importance of outside hospital mortality as a first acute ischemic heart event: the Quebec Cardiovascular Study

Among 4371 men aged 35 to 64 in 1973 who were randomly selected, living in Quebec City suburbs, without clinical evidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) at entry and followed for 16 years, 426 had a first acute IHD event; of these, 296 had a nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), 50 a fatal MI (death within four weeks of the acute event) and 80 an early death, ie, they died before the diagnosis of MI was made. Among these 80 early deaths attributed to IHD in the absence of any other apparent cause, 55 men died within 1 h from the onset of symptoms or were found dead in their bed (group A) while 25 died more than 1 h after the onset of symptoms (group B). In this population, a first acute IHD event carried a 31% (130 of 426) case fatality within the first four weeks. Groups A and B accounted for 42% (55 of 130) and 19% (25 of 130) of the total acute ischemic mortality, respectively. As expected, fatal events increased with age, but the proportion of early deaths over the total IHD mortality was as frequent in younger men as in older men. Smoking, increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol were associated with increased nonfatal events. A similar association, except for serum cholesterol, was observed for all fatal events. No significant risk factor profile differentiated early from late fatal events. In conclusion, in this population, nearly a third of men with a first IHD event died, most of them outside the hospital. None of the main established risk factors differentiated men with a fatal MI from those with an early death.     

Prediction, control, and learned helplessness.

Examined the independent effects of perceived control over and perceived predictability of an aversive event on 100 undergraduates' performance on a memory task and depressive affect. All Ss completed the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List and the Desirability of Control Scale. Ss who received noise blasts that were both uncontrollable and unpredictable displayed performance decrements and depressive affect relative to a no-noise group, whereas Ss who were able either to control or to predict the aversive event did not. The perception of control or predictability concerning the aversive event was thus sufficient to mitigate learned helplessness, suggesting the functional equivalence of perceived control and predictability. Finally, results reveal that Ss high in the "desire for control over events" reacted to the aversive noise more than did Ss low in the desire for control. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cholesterol reduction and the risk for stroke in men. A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

OBJECTIVE: Reducing serum cholesterol lowers the risk for ischemic heart disease, but its effects on other vascular diseases are unknown. Published trials were reviewed to determine the effect of cholesterol-lowering interventions on fatal and nonfatal stroke. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. DATA IDENTIFICATION: A literature search of English-language studies examining the effect of modified diets or medications on cardiovascular end points from 1965 to 1992 using MEDLINE and a review of references of five quantitative overviews of cholesterol reduction and coronary disease. DATA ANALYSIS: Thirteen studies met three eligibility criteria: patients randomized to intervention or control; fatal or nonfatal stroke reported separately; and end points assessed without knowledge of treatment status. Heterogeneity among studies and overall effects of treatment on fatal and nonfatal stroke were estimated using the Mantel-Haenszel-Peto method to combine independent study results. The influence of various study designs and interventions was explored using subgroup comparisons. RESULTS: For fatal stroke, the overall odds ratio associated with cholesterol-lowering interventions in 13 trials was 1.32 (95% Cl, 0.94 to 1.86), and the odds ratio for the 10 single-intervention trials was 1.34 (Cl, 0.91 to 1.96). Among eight trials reporting nonfatal events, the summary odds ratio for nonfatal stroke for treated participants compared with controls was 0.88 (Cl, 0.70 to 1.11), and the odds ratio for total strokes was 0.98 (Cl, 0.80 to 1.19). Among three trials using clofibrate, treatment significantly increased the risk for fatal stroke (odds ratio, 2.64; Cl, 1.42 to 4.92) but not for nonfatal stroke (odds ratio, 0.87; Cl, 0.61 to 1.26). Regression analysis showed no statistical association between the magnitude of cholesterol reduction and the risk for fatal stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Lowering serum cholesterol through modified diets or medications does not reduce stroke mortality or morbidity in middle-aged men. Clofibrate appears to increase the risk for fatal strokes, but the mechanism for this effect is unknown.     

Plasma viscosity and the risk of coronary heart disease: results from the MONICA-Augsburg Cohort Study, 1984 to 1992

Plasma viscosity is determined by various macromolecules, eg, fibrinogen, immunoglobulins, and lipoproteins. It may therefore reflect several aspects involved in cardiovascular diseases, including the effects of classic risk factors, hemostatic disturbances, and inflammation. We examined the association of plasma viscosity with the incidence of a first major coronary heart disease event (CHD; fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction and cardiac death; n=50) in 933 men aged 45 to 64 years of the MONICA project of Augsburg, Germany. The incidence rate was 7.23 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.37 to 9.53), and the subjects were followed up for 8 years. All suspected cases of an incident CHD event were classified according to the MONICA protocol. There was a positive and statistically significant unadjusted relationship between plasma viscosity and the incidence of CHD. The relative risk of CHD events associated with a 1-SD increase in plasma viscosity (0.070 mPa x s) was 1.60 (95% CI, 1.25 to 2.03). After adjustment for age, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, blood pressure, and body mass index, the relative risk was reduced only moderately (1.42; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.86). The relative risk of CHD events for men in the highest quintile of the plasma viscosity distribution in comparison with the lowest quintile was 3.31 (95% CI, 1.19 to 9.25) after adjustment for the aforementioned variables. A large proportion of events (40%) occurred among men in the highest quintile. These findings suggest that plasma viscosity may have considerable potential to identify subjects at risk for CHD events.     

Direct medical costs of coronary artery disease in the United States

To generate current incidence-based estimates of the direct medical costs of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the United States, a Markov model of the economic costs of CAD-related medical care was developed. Risks of initial and subsequent CAD events (sudden CAD death, fatal/nonfatal acute myocardial infarction [AMI], unstable angina, and stable angina) were estimated using new Framingham Heart Study risk equations and population risk profiles derived from national survey data. Costs were assumed to be those related to treatment of initial and subsequent CAD events ("event-related") and follow-up care ("nonevent-related"), respectively. Cost estimates were derived primarily from national public-use databases. First-year direct medical costs of treating CAD events are estimated to be $17,532 for fatal AMI, $15,540 for nonfatal AMI, $2,569 for stable angina, $12,058 for unstable angina, and $713 for sudden CAD death. Nonevent-related direct costs of CAD treatment are estimated to be $1,051 annually. The annual incidence of CAD in the United States is estimated at 616,900 cases, with first-year costs of treatment totaling $5.54 billion. Five- and 10-year cumulative costs in 1995 dollars for patients who are initially free of CAD are estimated at $9.2 billion and $16.5 billion, respectively; for all patients with CAD, these costs are estimated to be $71.5 billion and $126.6 billion, respectively. The direct medical costs of CAD create a large economic burden for the United States health-care system.     

The cost of good fortune: When positive life events produce negative health consequences.

Previous research regarding the effects of positive life events on physical health has been inconclusive. We tested the hypothesis that positive life events have a detrimental effect on health only among people with negative self-views. This prediction derives from an identity disruption model of stress, which holds that an accumulation of life events that are inconsistent with the self-concept leads to physical illness. To test the hypothesis, we conducted 2 prospective studies in which positive life events and self-esteem were used to predict the development of illness over time. In accordance with predictions, both studies showed that desirable life changes were associated with increases in illness only among Ss with low self-esteem; among Ss with high self-esteem, positive life events were linked to better health. Implications for understanding the manner in which life events affect health are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospective study of shift work and risk of coronary heart disease in women

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine prospectively the relation of shift work to risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a cohort of women. METHODS AND RESULTS: An ongoing prospective cohort of US female nurses, in whom we assessed (in 1988) the total number of years during which they worked rotating night shifts (at least three nights per month in addition to day and evening shifts), included 79,109 women, 42 to 67 years old in 1988, who were free of diagnosed CHD and stroke. Incident CHD was defined as nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal CHD. During 4 years of follow-up (1988 to 1992), 292 cases of incident CHD (248 nonfatal myocardial infarction and 44 fatal CHD) occurred. The age-adjusted relative risk of CHD was 1.38 (95% CI, 1.08 to 1.76) in women who reported ever doing shift work compared with those who had never done so. The excess risk persisted after adjustment for cigarette smoking and a variety of other cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with women who had never done shift work, the multivariate adjusted relative risks of CHD were 1.21 (95% CI, 0.92 to 1.59) among women reporting less than 6 years and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.12 to 2.03) among those reporting 6 or more years of rotating night shifts. CONCLUSIONS: These data are compatible with the possibility that 6 or more years of shift work may increase the risk of CHD in women.     

Parametric likelihoods for multiple non-fatal competing risks and death

Clinical trials of fatal diseases often focus on one or more non-fatal events, in addition to survival, both to characterize morbidity and to improve survival estimates. Three statistical complications are that the time to each non-fatal event and subsequent residual survival may be either positively or negatively associated, the times to death with or without an antecedent event often have very different distributions, and death may censor some of the non-fatal event times. Consequently, the overall survival time distribution is a mixture of the distributions corresponding to the possible antecedent non-fatal events. These conditions violate the usual assumptions underlying many statistical methods for analysing multivariate time-to-event data. In this paper, we consider a general parametric model for multiple non-fatal competing risks and death. The model accounts for positive or negative association between the time of each non-fatal event and subsequent survival while accommodating covariates and the usual administrative censoring. Each event time distribution is specified marginally by a three-parameter generalized odds rate model, and the time of each non-fatal event and subsequent residual survival are combined under a bivariate generalized von Morgenstern distribution. The approach is illustrated by application to two data sets from clinical trials in colon cancer and acute leukaemia.     

Effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of primary nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In epidemiological studies antioxidants have been inversely related with coronary heart disease. Findings from controlled trials are inconclusive. METHODS: We studied the primary preventive effect of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) and beta carotene supplementation on major coronary events in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, a controlled trial undertaken primarily to examine the effects of these agents on cancer. A total of 27 271 Finnish male smokers aged 50 to 69 years with no history of myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to receive vitamin E (50 mg), beta carotene (20 mg), both agents, or placebo daily for 5 to 8 years (median, 6.1 years). The end point was the first major coronary event, either nonfatal myocardial infarction (surviving at least 28 days; n = 1204) or fatal coronary heart disease (n = 907). RESULTS: The incidence of primary major coronary events decreased 4% (95% confidence interval, -12% to 4%) among recipients of vitamin E and increased 1% (95% confidence interval, -7% to 10%) among recipients of beta carotene compared with the respective nonrecipients. Neither agent affected the incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction. Supplementation with vitamin E decreased the incidence of fatal coronary heart disease by 8% (95% confidence interval, -19% to 5%), but beta carotene had no effect on this end point. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with a small dose of vitamin E has only marginal effect on the incidence of fatal coronary heart disease in male smokers with no history of myocardial infarction, but no influence on nonfatal myocardial infarction. Supplementation with beta carotene has no primary preventive effect on major coronary events.     

Psychosocial adjustment of adolescent children of a depressed, arthritic, or normal parent.

Examined the joint effects of having a parent with a psychological or physical disability and stressful life events on the mental health of 3 groups of adolescents: 16 adolescent children of a depressed parent, 16 adolescent children of a parent with rheumatoid arthritis, and 16 adolescent children of parents free from psychological or physical disability. Ss were asked to complete a battery of assessments, including the SCL-90, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Family Environment Scale, and scales assessing life events and satisfaction with school. It was found that, in contrast to the normal group, Ss with arthritic parents reported lower self-esteem, whereas Ss with depressed parents reported lower self-esteem and more symptomatology. However, the 2 risk groups did not differ in terms of mental health or family and school adjustment. Both negative and positive life events were strongly related to poorer adjustment, but only for Ss with depressed and arthritic parents. There was a significant interaction effect of parental disability (depressed vs normal) and negative life events on symptomatology, with the Ss with depressed parents who experienced few negative life events reporting symptom levels equivalent to that of the normal group. Within-group analyses revealed that a positive familial social climate was related to better adjustment among all 3 groups: satisfactory school involvements were related to better adjustment among the depressed-parent and normal groups. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response biases and the relation between negative life events and psychological symptoms.

Investigated whether reporting biases can account for the correlation between negative life events and subclinical psychological symptoms. 73 undergraduates each brought a close friend to the experiment. Ss completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and a college student life events schedule. Friends were asked to report about life events experienced by the Ss. Findings did not support an S reporting bias associated with social desirability, depression, or symptoms. For one of the life events scales, depression was significantly associated with a higher rate of agreement between Ss and friends as to which negative events occurred to Ss. There were significant correlations between symptom and depression measures and life events measures that were free of S-reporting biases (Ss' negative life events reported by both Ss and their significant others, as well as Ss' negative life events as reported by significant others alone). Data suggest that response biases may not be able to account for the relation between negative events and psychological symptoms. It is contended, however, that the hypothesis that negative life events play a significant role in symptom development remains plausible. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-discrepancies and emotional vulnerability: How magnitude, accessibility, and type of discrepancy influence affect.

Two studies with 129 undergraduates examined whether the type of emotional change experienced by individuals is influenced by the magnitude and accessibility of the different types of self-discrepancies they possess. In both studies, Ss filled out a measure of self-discrepancy a few weeks prior to the experimental session. Ss were asked to list up to 10 attributes each for their actual self, their ideal self (their own or others' hopes and goals for them), and their ought self (their own or others' beliefs about their duty and obligations). In Study 1, Ss asked to imagine a positive or negative event who had a predominant actual–ideal discrepancy felt more dejected on a mood measure and wrote more slowly on a writing-speed task in the negative event condition than in the positive event condition. Ss with a predominant actual–ought discrepancy felt more agitated and wrote more quickly in the negative event condition. In Study 2, Ss high or low in both kinds of discrepancies were either asked to discuss their own and their parents' hopes and goals for them (ideal priming) or asked to discuss their own and their parents' beliefs concerning their duty and obligations (ought priming). For high-discrepancy Ss, ideal priming increased their dejection, whereas ought priming increased their agitation. (59 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Follow-up on hang gliding injuries in Colorado

In a period extending from July 1973 to December 1975, seven fatal hang glider accidents were recorded in Colorado, all among experienced pilots. In addition, 11 serious nonfatal injuries were reported, which may represent only a fraction of those occurring. Accidents were noted to be multifactorial, caused by (1) pilot error, (2) equipment failure, (3) terrain hazards, and (4) possible design shortcomings. Accidents can be expected to decline in frequency with improved pilot training programs, grading and regulation of sites, and standardized safety clothing. No doubt over time, the less safe standard Rogallo wing will be replaced by the more stable Superkites and controlled collapsibles, which offer a higher safety margin. In the last analysis, this sport will remain a popular yet high risk endeavor (Figs. 2 through 5).     

Nightmare prevalence in the healthy elderly.

51 healthy elderly Ss (median age 65 yrs) gave retrospective estimates of nightmare frequency in questionnaires and recorded the occurrence of nightmares in daily logs over a 2-wk period. Mean annual nightmare frequency as estimated from logs was only 65% as high among college student controls. Elderly Ss were about –1/? as likely as college students to report a problem with nightmares. Frequency estimates on the basis of logs were over 10 times higher than retrospective estimates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confidence in the prediction and postdiction of an uncertain outcome.

Made a comparison between the confidence of 23 undergraduates either predicting the outcome of an uncertain event or postdicting the outcome of the same event. Using a procedure in which Ss rolled a die and bet on the outcome, it was found that Ss predicting the outcome before the die was rolled bet more money and reported greater confidence in being correct than Ss postdicting the outcome after the die had already been rolled. Results are interpreted as support for the hypothesis that a form of magical thinking mediates the frequently reported positive relationship between S's desire for a particular outcome and his estimate of that outcome's likelihood of occurrence. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Low total serum cholesterol and intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke: is the association confined to elderly men? The Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Epidemiological studies indicate a higher incidence of intracerebral (but not subarachnoid) hemorrhagic stroke among persons with low total serum cholesterol levels. This report further examines the prospective relationship of total serum cholesterol with subsequent intracerebral hemorrhage in a large, well-defined population. METHODS: The cohort included 61756 enrollees in a health plan from the San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area (46% men, 63% white), aged 40 to 89 years and free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Sixteen-year incidence of combined nonfatal and fatal intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke (International Classification of Diseases [ICD], 8th revision, code 431, or ICD, 9th revision, codes 431 and 432) was investigated in relation to serum cholesterol measured in multiphasic health checkups made in 1977 through 1985. Intracerebral hemorrhagic events were ascertained using hospital discharge records and as underlying cause of death by the California Mortality Linkage Information System. RESULTS: From 1978 through 1993 (average of 10.7 years), there were 386 events (201 in men, 29% fatal; 185 in women, 42% fatal). By multivariate proportional hazards life-table regression analysis, serum cholesterol level below the sex-specific 10th percentile (< 4.62 mmol/L [178 mg/dL] in men), compared with higher cholesterol level, was associated with a significantly increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage in men aged 65 years or older (relative risk, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 5.0). An excess risk was also observed among elderly women at the lowest cholesterol range, but a chance finding could not be ruled out. No relationship was seen among men or women aged 40 to 64, and no statistical interaction of low serum cholesterol with hypertension was found in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: In these data, the association between low serum cholesterol level and intracerebral hemorrhage was confined to elderly men.