Stress and Heart Disease: What’s the Link?

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In the short term, stress can be beneficial; however, prolonged stress can lead to inflammation and coping mechanisms that can be harmful to your heart health. People with chronic stress, such as stress related to social isolation, work, finances, and/or racism, may face a higher risk of heart disease and risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol problems. This article explains the connection between stress and heart disease, as well as prevention methods to keep your heart as healthy as possible.

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Can Stress Affect Your Heart?

Stress affects your body in many ways and can certainly impact heart health. Both acute and chronic stress lead to changes in the heart and blood vessels.

A Word From Verywell

Chronic stress can increase your risk of developing heart disease by affecting your blood pressure, increasing plaque buildup in your blood vessels, and leading to an increased overall state of inflammation. There are many techniques for dealing with stress. Make sure to speak with your healthcare provider regarding the best strategies to help manage your stress.

Acute Stress

In general, acute or sudden and short-lived stress isn’t necessarily a problem for the heart. The human body has evolved the stress response, or fight-or-flight response, as a useful way to counteract danger. During a sudden stressful moment, the body releases adrenaline (epinephrine) which causes various effects on the cardiovascular system that can help escape or avoid danger. These include:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Stronger contraction of the heart muscle
  • Change in blood vessels to direct blood flow to muscles

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is stress that goes on for the long term. It affects the heart in several ways, leading to high cortisol levels and inflammation. This can lead to the following changes in the heart and blood vessels:

Is There a Link Between Stress and Heart Disease?

The stress-related changes in the heart and blood vessels in both acute and chronic stress can lead to heart disease.

Acute Stress

Most of the time, the body can handle acute stress just fine and revert to its normal prestress state. However, in a condition known as stress cardiomyopathy (also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and broken heart syndrome), the sudden stress results in the weakening of the heart muscle. This can cause heart failure, dangerous heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias), and even death. People with stress cardiomyopathy may experience the following symptoms:

  • Sudden severe chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Lightheadedness
  • Loss of consciousness

Chronic Stress

Increased cortisol levels and dysregulation of the immune system that are directly related to stress can contribute to inflammation, atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), and other risk factors of heart disease. In addition, unhealthy coping strategies for chronic stress (a sedentary lifestyle, certain eating patterns, and smoking cigarettes) can further increase this risk. Chronic stress and other mental health conditions are associated with the following heart and vascular conditions:

Other Risk Factors Related to Stress

In addition to the impact of stress on the heart, stress can also cause conditions that are also risk factors for heart disease. Stress and its impact on behavior can cause risk factors for heart disease, including:

Signs That Stress May Be Affecting Your Heart

It’s important to recognize potential heart problems and risk factors and have an evaluation with your healthcare provider to diagnose and treat them. Possible signs that stress and other risk factors may be causing heart problems include the following:

  • Chest discomfort
  • Shortness of breath or feeling more winded than usual with your activities
  • Palpitations, or the feeling of rapid or irregular heartbeats
  • Fatigue
  • Sudden weight gain, which can be a sign of heart failure

If you feel that chronic stress is impacting your daily life, it’s a sign that stress could be affecting other parts of the body, such as the heart. A healthcare provider can screen for other risk factors and help manage stress and related mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Signs of chronic stress include:

  • Fatigue and low energy levels
  • Headaches
  • Sleeping troubles
  • Changes in bowel habits
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Mood changes, such as anxiety or depression
  • Trouble concentrating

Stress Management Techniques for Heart Health

Managing stress can improve your quality of life and may help counteract the negative effects of stress on your body, including your heart. Some stress management techniques also have direct benefits for your heart.

Get Regular Exercise

Physical activity has numerous benefits for the body and mind. Exercise can release endorphins, the feel-good chemicals that can improve mood and manage stress. In addition, regular physical activity is one of the major lifestyle factors to improve and maintain heart health. The American Heart Association recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.

Aim for getting some exercise daily by doing activities you enjoy, such as:

  • A brisk walk or jog outside
  • Exercise dance classes
  • Playing sports like tennis, pickleball, soccer, or basketball
  • Yoga and strengthening exercises

Try Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques are meant to counteract the stress response and activate the part of the nervous system that promotes rest. They can be particularly effective during times of acute stress or anxiety. Though there is little direct evidence of their benefit for heart health, some studies show the benefits of relaxation techniques in lowering blood pressure.

Some examples of relaxation techniques include:

  • Meditation with guided imagery
  • Breathing exercises
  • Progressive relaxation, or tensing and then relaxing your muscles

Get Enough Sleep

Poor sleep is associated with both chronic stress and risk of heart disease as well as other long-term health conditions. Getting enough high-quality sleep is important to manage stress and protect heart health. The American Heart Association recognizes sleep as one of the pillars of lifestyle management for a healthy heart and states that most adults should aim for seven to nine hours of high-quality rest each night.

Connect With Others

Another important way to counteract stress is to connect with others. Some people may cope with stress through isolation; however, social isolation and loneliness are linked to increased stress and worse cardiovascular health.

Social connection can be a good way to counteract stress, and it also lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. A support network can provide support during hard times, help cope with stress, and promote overall well-being. Some ways to connect with others include:

  • Participating in events at neighborhood, community, school, church, park, and recreational centers
  • Joining a book club or activities at your library
  • Participating in a gardening, nature, or walking club
  • Volunteering

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

If you are having symptoms of chronic stress, you can schedule a visit with a healthcare provider who can provide tips and referrals for managing stress, such as counseling.

If you have any concerning heart attack symptoms, seek medical attention immediately by calling 9-1-1 to be transported to the nearest hospital. Heart attack symptoms include:

  • Chest or upper abdominal pain or discomfort
  • Discomfort might radiate to the neck, jaw, or upper arms
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness
  • Fatigue

Summary

Our bodies evolved the stress response as a protective mechanism, and both acute and chronic stress can affect the heart in various ways. Usually, acute stress doesn’t cause heart problems, but some people can develop stress-related cardiomyopathy. Chronic stress can lead to inflammation, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and atherosclerosis. Our coping mechanisms for stress, like sedentary behavior, dietary patterns, and smoking, can increase heart disease risk.

To counteract the effects of stress and keep a healthy heart, aim for regular physical activity, healthy sleep, and connection with others.

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