Heart Disease and Stress

When asked to name the causes of heart disease, most physicians and other medical personnel will name, instead, the risk factors for heart disease. Age, cholesterol, diabetes, gender, heredity, hypertension, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking are all named. While these are not termed “causes” of heart disease, they are contributing factors.

Stress is potentially another contributing risk factor for heart disease. To date, little is known about its overall effect on the heart. However, the fight-or-flight response empowers the heart and other muscles for intense, short-term action. It is thought that the adrenalin and other substances delivered to the heart at unusually high levels may “cause” heart disease.

Different people respond to stressors in different ways, but negative responses are frequent. It is these negative responses that may present the greatest potential as contributing factors to heart disease.

Reasons Stress May Cause Heart Disease

In research, a number of reasons have been identified for linking heart disease and stress.

* Stress is known to raise heart rate and blood pressure. This, in turn, increases the heart’s need for oxygen. As with every other muscle, the heart must have oxygen to function properly. When it lacks oxygen, angina pectoris, or chest pain, can be produced in those who have heart disease.

* Stress usually involves, as noted above, the fight-or-flight response. To prepare the body for either, the nervous system releases extra amounts of important hormones, such as adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones immediately raise the blood pressure. Increased blood pressure can cause injury to the linings of the arteries. When the stress abates, and the blood pressure drops, the arteries will gradually heal. But in the process, their walls may harden or thicken with scar tissue. This facilitates plaque build up and resulting heart disease.

* Finally, a negative response to stressors appears to increase the amount of blood clotting factors circulating in the blood. Perhaps this is a preparation to heal the body if a fight ensues. Whatever the reason, the reaction makes it more likely that a clot will form. Blood clots can block an artery that has been narrowed by the plaque of heart disease, and cause a heart attack. In this case, the stress is thought not to cause heart disease, but to intensify it.

Additional Links Between Heart Disease and Stress

Other ways in which stress may be a “cause” of heart disease include the following.

Stress may lead to over-eating and weight gain as people seek comfort. The additional weight can be a risk factor for heart disease.

Stress may tempt people to begin smoking, or to reach for a cigarette more often, if they are already smokers. Smoking has been proven to be a risk factor for heart disease.

CAUTION: The information presented here is for educational purposes only. If you have questions about stress and heart disease, please seek professional medical advice.