STRESS CAN LEAD TO HEART ATTACKS

     Research has found that stress can lead to heart attacks.  In an analysis based on data gathered from 22,086 participants it was found that high stress jobs (where there is little control) were 67 per cent more likely to have a heart attack than those in less intense jobs.  This analysis was based on 22,086 over a ten year period and was published in the July 2012 issue of the journal PLoS One.  “Stress is a natural part of life,” says Michelle Albert, M.D., M.PH, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s and a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  She says that an abundance of stress can overpower the body and put you in a constant “fight or flight” mode which can have negative effects on multiple organ systems, including the heart.

    Research has also linked to type 2 diabetes, impaired immunity, and worsening depression.  A recent poll of 1,200 adults by the American Psychological (APA) suggests that the way people cope can be unhealthy too.  “Stress doesn’t cause a cold or flu, viruses cause them.  For example, 44 percent of respondents reported lying awake at night when they were stressed, and 39 percent said they overate on junk food.  That underscores the need to find healthy coping mechanisms.  Stress does reduce your ability to fight infection in two ways – behavioral and biological – that can lead to illness.  People under stress tend to smoke more, skip exercises, consume sugar drinks, feel tense, and be susceptible to heart disease,” says Dr. Sheldon Cohen, a professor at Carnegie  Mellon University in Pittsburgh.   

    “Fatigue is one of the most common stress symptoms that sends people to a doctor,” says Tracy Stevens, M.D., a cardiologist at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo.  “Another complaint is heart palpitations, a fast or skipped heartbeats or a sensation that the heart is pounding.  Many go for comfort foods such as French fries or macaroni and cheese.” adds Dr. Stevens.  Stress can be lessened by reading, praying, spending time with family and friends and mental professional help.  Humming a hymn or getting a massage also helps.  In a May 2012 study of 100 adults, researchers wanted to find out if mindful-meditation skills could be learned from an online course.  Participants said their stress-level scores dropped by 10 points out of 40 points by the end of the program.  Results were published in the journal BMJ.  Biofeedback and electronic devices to measure heart rate are other device measurements that can also be tried.