Is wpw syndrome made worse by continous high levels of stress?

  My mom has had wpw all her life and was checked by a physician in
  April 1998. At that time her condition was stable and no mediciations were needed. In July 1998 she had a house fire and since that time her stress
  level has skyrocketed, due to ongoing problems dealling with the insurance
  company and its agents.  She has now been advised that her wpw has
  worsen to the point that she needs a radiofrequency catheter ablation procedure IMMEDIATELY. As we left the doctor's office after her last testing she was told point blank that her days were numbered, until she
  underwent the surgery. Not having surgery is not eben an option in this case. Could the dramatic worsening of her condition be due to the high level of stress she has been experiencing since the house fire?
  Thank You

[CCF CARDIO MD APS]

_
Dear Catherine,
Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure (low risk) and not a surgery.  It is very
unlikely that the need for this procedure has anything to do with the increased
stress in your mother's life. It is more or most likely that the time has come
so to speak because of your mother's age.  Regardless, for her overall health,
it would be best that she decrease the stress level.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for
general purposes only. Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies.
Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please
call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at
www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the
cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your
cardiac problem.