Emotional causes of sudden death.

The author reviews concepts important to understanding the emotional causes of sudden death, which occurs in the psychological setting of hopelessness, powerlessness, and intense emotions. The cardiovascular system responds to stress in a way that makes sudden death more likely. Studies pertinent to the effect of stress on blood pressure and arrhythmia in animals and man indicate that sudden death as a response to stress can occur only when certain factors are present simultaneously. Collaboration between psychiatrists and cardiologists is necessary for further progress in this field.