The Relationship Between Heart Disease And Stress

The relationship between stress and heart disease has become widely accepted by physicians and health care providers. When a patient is diagnosed with a common cardiovascular condition such as high blood pressure or chest pain, a prescription to limit life’s stress is often ordered along with traditional medical care or prescription medications. How exactly does stress affect the heart?  While a direct physiological correlation between the body’s stress response and heart function is not certain, stress can be indirectly related to lifestyle choices and risk factors known to cause or worsen heart disease.

Stress leads to unhealthy diets. From those who over or under eat to those whose schedules allow only too much processed or fast foods, stressful lives frequently lead to a number of dietary misfortunes. Foods high in fat, calories or sodium have proven impacts on heart disease and conditions such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Busy, stressed out people often succumb to the ease and convenience of comfort foods, fast food, takeout or quick frozen meals. Many of these options hold less nutritional content with unhealthier heart risks than home cooked meals and balanced diets.

Stressed lifestyles offer less time for exercise. Unlike ancestors of a hundred years ago, we no longer rely on strength and physical activity to support our families. Humans today are often technology addicted, desk bound, sedentary creatures. In spite of efforts made by companies allowing on site exercise facilities, many men and women alike become caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life—and fail to make time for heart healthy exercise. There are only so many hours in the day and when the majority of those hours are consumed by work and family responsibilities, something takes a “back seat” and personal health often suffers as a result.

Children and family come first—sometimes at a health cost. Many parents become consumed with the “constant go” mentality that dictates daily family life. When children become over scheduled with activities and events, families struggle to keep up with the chaotic load. Meal time becomes unbalanced if existent, interactions become tense and rushed, homework and schoolwork are often affected and family time is burdened by near chaos instead of much needed downtime. All of these things affect the body’s ability to cope with heart affecting stress and other risk factors. Parents’ diets are affected, exercise time is reduced, and rest or down time frequently disappears.

Sleep deprivation is the rule rather than the exception when stressed. When a person is concerned or worried, sleep is often lost. Whether the concerns are family related, or deal with job or financial stressors, many lose sleep when stressed. Without the body’s ability to rest and rejuvenate itself, the heart and cardiovascular system must overwork to keep the body functioning at its peak.

Scientific research studies body chemicals released during stressful times and their heart impact. During times of stress, chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol are released in excess of normal “operations”. While a direct link between these stress hormones and heart disease has not yet been identified, there are heart disease related factors which may come into play as a result of these increased releases.

It is clear that although science has not isolated a direct correlation between stress and heart disease, there are certainly heart and overall health benefits to reducing life’s stressors.