Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Does a peptide affect the heart’s response to social isolation?

A team of researchers investigating the effects of oxytocin, a peptide produced by the brain that regulates social behavior, has found that it can prevent detrimental cardiac responses in adult female animals exposed to social isolation. The findings may provide further insight into how these mechanisms affect humans. The social environment plays an important role in regulating both behavior and cardiovascular function in humans. Negative social interactions, such as loneliness or social isolation, may increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety as well as heart disease.

Article

Posted by Tom Beckman on 05/01 at 12:03 PM
Hypertension • Relationships • Stress • (0) Comments • Permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages