Handbook of Stress, Reactivity and Cardiovascular Disease

The first major reference covering theory and research on reactivity - individual differences in physiological response to stress - and its role in heart disease. The book examines key conceptual issues in this evolving area and provides a comprehensive source of research data on reactivity, along with guidelines for identifying and measuring stressor and reactivity variables. Also described are behaviorally induced pathophysiological mechanisms along with explorations of the interaction of reactivity with other health-related behaviors, such as caffeine consumption, smoking, and exercise. For researchers, the handbook identifies questions for future investigation; for clinicians, it provides new diagnostic techniques and suggests avenues for therapy.