The Effects of Stress on the Heart

• Sudden cardiac arrest accounts for about 400,000 deaths in the U.S. a year, and according to research published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology mental stress such as anger can lead to arrhythmias that can trigger sudden cardiac arrest. The study, conducted by the Yale University School of Medicine, followed 62 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators and found that their response to a mental stress test was a very good predictor of future arrhythmias; those who showed more anger were more likely to have an arrhythmia.
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  Studies have shown that stress has been linked with heart disease, weight gain (or loss), cognitive impairment, your blood pressure (and risk of stroke) and even some forms of cancer. Other physically related health concerns caused by stress can include diabetes, hair loss, hyperthyroidism, sexual dysfunction, tooth and gum disease, ulcers and even hair loss. Of course, there are many causes of stress, such as having too busy a lifestyle, factors at work, personal relationships, inadequate sleep, poor eating habits (nutrition), lack of physical exercise, environment...and the list goes on. All of these stress related factors can impact your physical health.
  
  It has been estimated that as much as 90 percent of doctor's visits are due to stress related symptoms in some way. It has also been noted that one in every seven men will suffer a heart attack or other disabling heart disease before the age of 60. In our anxiety ridden society, that figure does not seem impossible.
  
  There are a couple of different types of stress that can lead to heart problems. The first is chronic emotional stress in which you may be more likely to develop atherosclerosis, the heart disease process that produces coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease. If you suffer from this type of stress, the symptoms of which include clenched teeth, a surge of adrenaline with the fight-or-flight reaction (commonly manifested as frustration, anger or hostility) you are more at risk for atherosclerosis.
  
  Stress, even at normal everyday levels, can cause a temporary worsening in your vascular functions. Hormonal changes can increase the amount of adrenaline in your bloodstream. With chronic emotional stress, adrenaline is pumped into your bloodstream at increased levels and those changes can persist, which can lead to increased inflammation, and this is associated with an elevated risk of atherosclerosis.
  
  Along with that, chronic emotional stress often goes hand-in-hand with other cardiovascular risk factors. For example, smokers under stress commonly increase their tobacco consumption (which can lead to an increased risk of cancer), while others turn to overeating (causing weight gain). Cholesterol levels also tend to go up during periods of increased stress.
  
  The second type involves periods of intense stress that can lead to acute heart problems like heart attacks.
  
  Life events can be extremely stressful. Consider the death of a loved one, loss of a job, business failure, exposure to natural disasters (such as a flood or earthquake), being the victim of a violent crime, or the break-up of your family unit. The anxiety associated with these extreme life events produce the type of stress can definitely increase your cardiac risk. This increased risk of stress related heart attack is caused by significant elevations in blood pressure, your heart rate, vascular tone (or vein constriction), inflammation and accelerated blood clotting. All of these factors can lead to stress-related heart attacks.
  
  If you feel that stress is becoming overwhelming in your life and may be affecting your heart health, it may be wise to seek help in finding ways to reduce your stress or find strategies of help you cope with the stress you are undergoing. If you do not take any action, you may find that the effects of stress on your heart may lead to a significant heart health risks.