Psychological Stress as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction Stress is a phenomenon elicited in response to certain triggers that may be external or internal. Stress has been identified as a risk factor for various diseases, including cardiovascular disease. In this study, we aim to find an association between psychological stress and cardiovascular disease in the local setting Methods This case-control study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from June 2019 to December 2019. One hundred and seventeen (117) patients with myocardial infarction and unstable angina were enrolled in the case group. One hundred and ten (110) patient's attendants were enrolled in the study as controlled. Results The risk of a cardiovascular event was higher in patients with a history of social isolation (OR, 2.47), marital stress (OR, 2.28), work stress (OR, 3.2), childhood abuse (OR, 2.78), or trauma (OR, 2.67). Conclusion Psychological stress is an important risk for cardiovascular disease, which is often overlooked. Efforts should be made to include questions related to psychological stress in the history-taking of patients at risk of a cardiovascular event and the management plan should include psychological counseling.

Dermatological Manifestations of Parkinson's Disease: Clues for Diagnosis.

Background and objective Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder. There are various manifestations of PD. Among them, motor dysfunction has been studied in many research studies; however, few studies are available related to the dermatological manifestations of PD. This study was conducted with the aim to shed light on various skin conditions that occur in PD. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan for a period of nine months; 107 patients with PD were included after obtaining informed consent. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to record demographic data and dermatological findings. Results Among the various dermatological manifestations, patients with PD most commonly presented with seborrheic dermatitis (46.7%) and rosacea (10.2%). Other manifestations included bullous pemphigoid (7.4%) and melanoma (4.6%). Conclusion The study revealed several dermatological manifestations of PD, which usually get overlooked by neurologists. Through this study, we want to emphasize that PD, apart from all the motor signs and symptoms, can also present as skin problems, and hence, a multi-disciplinary approach should be taken while managing PD.