Over the last two decades, the analysis of blood pressure and heart rate variability has been increasingly used to obtain information on the mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular regulation in different physiological and pathological conditions. The evidence gathered so far has strongly supported the ability of this approach to provide unique insights into the factors involved in cardiovascular control. However, studies making use of these techniques have also underlined a number of problems concerning both the selection of the most appropriate analysis procedure to be used in a given situation and the interpretation of the results thus obtained. In this book volume leading experts from both the technological and the medical milieu have deeply addressed these issues. New tools for describing the regulation of the heart and the peripheral circulation in terms of 1/f processes, nonlinear and chaotic and complex systems have also been discussed. The overall result is a collection of contributions which provide the most recent development in this stimulating field.

This comprehensve review of scientific research supporting evidence of the relationship between cardiac disease and psychological condition offers practical suggestions for developing a clinical practice, and proposes directions for future research in the new field of "cardiac psychology." Every chapter is written by world-renowned researchers in the field. A theoretical and practical guide, it will interest physicians, clinical and health psychologists, and all professionals who seek to understand the mind-health link.

This comprehensve review of scientific research supporting evidence of the relationship between cardiac disease and psychological condition offers practical suggestions for developing a clinical practice, and proposes directions for future research in the new field of "cardiac psychology." Every chapter is written by world-renowned researchers in the field. A theoretical and practical guide, it will interest physicians, clinical and health psychologists, and all professionals who seek to understand the mind-health link.

Dati recenti hanno dimostrato che esiste una relazione tra le condizioni psicologiche e la malattia cardiaca. Inoltre gli interventi psicologici su pazienti con malattia coronarica (CHD) possono ridurre il rischio cardiaco e migliorare la loro qualita di vita. Questo volume, che e frutto della collaborazione con i piu impegnati ricercatori internazionali nel campo della psicologia clinica e della salute applicata alla malattia cardiaca, presenta un panorama aggiornato e completo delle ricerche scientifiche in questo ambito. Nella prima parte del volume sono presentati i quadri psicologici e gli aspetti relazionali associati alla malattia cardiaca con un particolare approfondimento dei tratti di personalita. Nella seconda parte sono illustrati gli interventi psicologici nella riabilitazione cardiaca che le ricerche hanno dimostrato essere efficaci nella riduzione del rischio cardiaco. Questo testo puo essere un utile riferimento alla pratica dei medici, degli psicologi e degli operatori sanitari che vogliono comprendere ed approfondire il legame tra la patologia cardiaca e gli aspetti psicologici."