Could Stress Put You at Risk for Heart Disease?

It’s no secret that stress is bad for our bodies. It drains our energy, messes with our emotions, depletes our immune system, and generally deteriorates our health. In addition, many studies in the past decade have indicated that stress can contribute to the leading killer in America: heart disease.

Whether a person is dealing with chronic stress or a severely stressful situation, their risk of coronary heart disease is higher than it is in those who are not dealing with such stressors.

The big question is, where does the link between heart disease and stress lie? The answer is multi-faceted.

Stress Raises Blood Pressure

Whenever your body is stressed, even if it’s just for a few minutes, it produces an influx of hormones. This is why you feel those physical effects of stress, like a racing heart. Although stress may not single-handedly cause your blood pressure to spike, there’s definitely a strong connection between the two.

People who have high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) have increased risks of heart attacks and can also face problems like heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease.

Stress Increases the Risk of Blood Clots

When your body produces that extra amount of hormones during stressful times, they can also cause your blood vessels to contract. This recent study indicates that because of this, people with high levels of anxiety tend to suffer from higher levels of blood clots than healthy individuals. A blood clot in your heart could cause pain, shortness of breath, and other uncomfortable symptoms. In serious situations, it may even lead to a heart attack or a pulmonary embolism.

Stress Often Coincides With Bad Habits

Think about people who binge-eat or smoke. More often than not, these bad habits go hand-in-hand with a stressful lifestyle. According to reports at Yale, these bad habits can increase the risk of chronic disease, including cardiovascular ones. People who are overweight or who smoke are both more likely to face heart disease in the future, and it’s highly likely that stress plays a factor in that risk.

At Long Island’s Brookhaven Heart, we understand that your psychological health can play an enormous role in the well-being of your body. You might not even realize what a toll your daily worries might be taking on your heart. That’s where we come in; we can help you identify your risks for heart disease and address any damage that may already have occurred.

More than 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year. Don’t become one of those numbers. Instead, schedule a checkup with Brookhaven Heart today by calling 631-654-3278. We have locations in Patchogue, New Hyde Park and Hicksville, New York.