{"id":4075,"date":"2022-11-11T22:47:28","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T22:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.fourthfrontier.com\/?p=4075"},"modified":"2023-04-12T12:21:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T11:21:50","slug":"how-does-stress-affect-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.fourthfrontier.com\/uk\/how-does-stress-affect-heart-health\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does Stress Affect Heart Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The amount of stress you experience and your reaction to it can lead to a number of health problems. From wreaking havoc on your sleep to sapping your energy, stress can set off a chain of events that might increase the risk of heart disease. <\/span>Mental health (ref. link<\/a>)<\/span> can positively or negatively affect your physical health and pose a risk to your heart, according to \u201cPsychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection,\u201d a scientific statement in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say everyone senses and responds to stress in various ways. To know about what you can do, it is critical to first know how much stress you are experiencing and how you react to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does Stress Affect Heart Health?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Although stress does not directly alter how the heart works, it does impact the variables that can raise the risk of <\/span>heart diseases,<\/b> such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. An increase in blood pressure and cholesterol puts additional stress on the heart, giving the person breathing difficulties and making them weaker. Under such stressful circumstances, your body releases the hormone adrenaline, which speeds up breathing and raises blood pressure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another indirect route is that some people who are stressed out drink excessively, which can damage their artery walls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As per a <\/span>study (ref. link<\/a>)<\/span>, \u200b\u200b\u201dstressful life events and social strain were each associated with increased risk of CHD among women. For job strain, the increased CHD risk was confounded by socioeconomic factors. Exposure to job strain and social strain interacted synergistically, resulting in a higher risk of CHD than expected from exposure to either stressor alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n


\nHow do you find out if stress is affecting your heart?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Stress can increase inflammation in your body, which in turn is linked to factors that can harm your heart, such as high blood pressure and lower \u201cgood\u201d HDL cholesterol, <\/span>Blaha says (ref. link<\/a>)<\/span>. Furthermore, chronic stress can also affect your heart in a more indirect way. When you\u2019re worried, you tend to sleep poorly. You\u2019re also less likely to exercise, make healthy food choices, or watch your weight, Blaha says. All of these lifestyle changes can put your heart health at risk (ref. link<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n


\nHow do you understand this better?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

When you are confronted with a stressful situation your body reacts instantly by releasing the chemicals cortisol and adrenaline.<\/span> This is the body\u2019s natural response to certain situations. Related physiological reactions occur far more frequently than is healthy. High stress may lead to high blood pressure which can pose a risk of <\/span>heart attack<\/b><\/a> and stroke. <\/span>Learn more about how s<\/span>tress impacts heart health<\/b> and the circulatory system.<\/span><\/p>\n


\nSome Other Stress Factors Which Affect Heart Health<\/b><\/h2>\n
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  1. As per this 30 year meta analysis study (ref. link<\/a>)<\/span>, The bone marrow releases extra white blood cells to help us cope with stress when we are mentally worried. This excessive white blood cell discharge may result in artery inflammation and <\/span>heart disease<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Our appetites are impacted by ongoing stress, with some reducing their food intake severely, and others engaging in overeating. Additionally, excessive eating contributes to obesity – a condition famously harmful to the heart. For instance, obesity can change your cholesterol levels. It can <\/span>lower good High-Density Lipoproteins (ref. link<\/a>)<\/span> (HDL) cholesterol, which is important for removing bad cholesterol and working to reduce the risk for <\/span>heart disease<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Our body secretes the hormone cortisol when we are under stress. This chemical gives us the tools to handle stressful circumstances and prepares us for fight-or-flight scenarios. However, prolonged stress can raise our bodies’ dangerous cortisol levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Stress and anxiety make our muscles stiff, impairing the heart’s blood flow. The heart doesn’t get proper blood or oxygen in such circumstances.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. When you are stressed or anxious, your breathing becomes rapid. Due to this, our hearts do not receive enough oxygen. To match our bodies’ demands, our hearts must work harder, which is bad for our hearts.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Even petty stress can initiate heart problems like poor blood flow to the heart muscle. This is a state in which the heart doesn’t get adequate blood or oxygen. Long-term stress can influence how the blood clots, which makes the blood stickier and raises the risk of stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Moreover people who experience a lot of stress may smoke or choose other unwholesome practices to deal with anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Typical reactions to stress include:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n