Is There Any Order Among Disorders?

Fainting may have a genetic link

Fainting may have a genetic link. The technical term for fainting caused by an environmental trigger (blood, pain, fright) is "vasovagal syncope". It's a drop in blood pressure. A study published in the journal Neurology looked at 51 same-sex pairs of twins - both identical (from 1 egg) and fraternal (from 2 eggs) - where at least one had fainted. Interviews determined both identical twins were likelier to have fainted than both fraternal twins. That there's a strong genetic component to fainting is especially important to the 25% of Americans who faint. For them this study deserves more than "faint praise".

Sleepwalking typically occurs during non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, which is the first stage of sleep. Ten to twenty percent of children sleepwalk because their brains are immature. For those who continue to sleepwalk in adulthood, there may also be a genetic component. If 1 parent sleepwalks, a child has a 45% increased risk of sleepwalking. If both parents sleepwalk, the increased risk is 65%. There are also environmental triggers - too little sleep, too much alcohol, sleep apnea and stress. We don't remember sleepwalking because the brain's short-term memory isn't fully functioning. Basically, it's "asleep on the job".

"Broken heart" syndrome - or cardiomyopathy - is caused by extreme stress from an event. The brain signals the adrenal glands, which are responsible for regulating stress. The glands release a surge of hormones that rush to the heart, causing it to shut down. Ninety percent of broken-heart patients are women, most being post-menopausal and over age 55. This is attributed to a lack of estrogen, which improves blood flow to the heart. It's called the broken heart syndrome because many patients experience it after the death of a loved one. So yes, you can die of a broken heart.

Finally, blood type may affect heart disease risk. In a study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, researchers analyzed data from 2 studies that tracked 89,500 adults ages 30-75 for at least 20 years. To determine the role of blood type in heart disease risk they ruled out other risk factors such as diet, body mass index, gender, race, smoking, menopause and medical history. People with type AB were 23% likelier to develop heart disease; type B, 11%; type A, 5%; and people with type O were least likely. We can't change our blood type, but we can change our lifestyle.

by: Knight Pierce Hirst

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