Abstract
Urinary VMA levels were measured in relation to the reporting of morbidity in an attempt to determine whether altered catecholamine activity is related to specific disease syndromes, or is a general characteristic of morbidity. The cross-sectional data show elevated VMA levels to be associated with the reporting of chronic disease conditions; non-chronic conditions and affective disorders were associated with lower VMA values. Although these findings are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that psychosocial stimuli acting through the sympathetic-adrenal medullary system may be important in the etiology of chronic disease conditions, alternative explanations are discussed and the need for further longitudinal studies indicated.
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