Stress And Cardiovascular Disease
Recently, a large population-based study comparing siblings with and without stress disorders found that stressed individuals were much more likely to have a serious cardiovascular disease with an onset before 50 years old (Hong, et. al, 2019). Individuals with more significant stress suffered more significant cardiovascular problems. The risks of acute and serious cardiovascular problems (e.g., heart attack), were the greatest near the period of time around the onset of the stress disorder. So, the first 6 months after a stressful event is a “high-risk” window. What does this mean? If you are encountering high levels of chronic stress or have just suffered an acute high-stress event, your heart health is more likely to suffer. When we encounter a threat, the body responds by releasing stress hormones (e.g., cortisol, adrenaline, etc.), accelerating heart and respiration rate, resulting in that “stressed” feeling. This response helps the human body deal with a predator who might