Can Stress Really Contribute To Heart Disease

Stress has often been named as a contributor to a higher risk of heart disease but the question of the day is whether or not this is a valid belief. If stress indeed increases risk,...

Stress has often been named as a contributor to a higher risk of heart disease but the question of the day is whether or not this is a valid belief. If stress indeed increases risk, what type of stress would it be? For the everyday person, stress is viewed as something emotional, such as problems at home or work. However, the medical community views stress as physical factors that can affect your health.

Taking a look at physical stress

Physical stress is something that can be measured and quantified and thereby is considered to be good. You exercise and get your heart rate up or wear a pedometer to count your steps in a day – both actions are easily measured. However, what if you do not do any exercise and lead a rather inactive life? Introducing physical stress, particularly in the form of exercise, can be bad and can actually put you at risk for a heart attack.

The conclusion is that physical stress can be good as long as you are already healthy. With a sedentary lifestyle, you must be evaluated by a doctor before introducing the physical strain of exercise to ensure you do not provoke a heart attack.

Now, if you have undetected heart disease or previous family history suggests you might get it, intense exercise can be detrimental to your health. The demands of physical stress on your heart could cause chest pain or you could experience dizziness or fainting because your heart is not getting the oxygen it needs to function. The bottom line is if you are in otherwise good health, the physical stress of exercise and other activities is fine.

Emotional stress factors

When you say you are stressed out, chances are you are referring to the emotional kind. It could be work that is the problem, death of a loved one or anything else that makes you mentally wiped out. But does this really affect the physical condition of the heart? Many medical researchers and doctors do believe that severe emotional stress can be harmful but the jury is still out on whether it contributes to heart disease.

Most evidence that points to emotional stress being a factor of heart disease has been incidental. Huge or severe changes in life where your emotional state has been tied to something that is suddenly gone can contribute to a tendency of heart disease, many experts feel just as someone who is always negative or hostile may be more predisposed. But does it directly relate to heart disease?

Emotional stress is not always bad and in fact, cannot be avoided. Many times the stress becomes a learning experience, especially when that emotional stress can be released in a healthy way. Doctors and researchers feel this is the key as to why some people in severe emotional angst may be more predisposed to heart disease.

When stress is internalized and not released, doctors feel that this can lead to a host of behaviors such as drinking, smoking and overeating which could then lead to heart disease. In addition, the continuous ebb and flow of adrenaline could affect the heart muscle and also cause problems with blood clotting which in turn could contribute to heart disease as well.

The conclusion that stress causes heart disease is not a faulty one, particularly when it could lead to bad lifestyle choices. Therefore, doctors suggest finding ways to release stress by adopting exercise programs and even learning to talk about what you are going through.

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