Can Stress Lead to Heart Problems?
The short answer is yes. Whilst some stress is beneficial, prolonged - or chronic stress – can lead to developing unhealthy lifestyle habits. It is these lifestyle habits that consequently increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory disease. l Exploring the connection between stress, unhealthy lifestyle choices and the connection with the development of heart and circulatory disease can help you safeguard your heart from stress and its harmful effects.
Our range of heart health tests offers a convenient, easy, and accurate way to check on your heart health. Heart health tests such as an ECG Test, Lipoprotein(a), PLAC test, PAD Test and Heart Disease and Stroke Assessments can be added to and carried out as part of our full body health check packages.
Explore our packages and book your heart health tests online today.
Possible signs stress is affecting your heart
We all experience stress at some point in our lives, but how do you know if stress is impacting your heart health? While short-term stress can be a useful tool in keeping us safe, chronic or long-term stress can have damaging effects on the body.
Stress can affect people differently, with not everyone experiencing the symptoms of stress in the same way. If you are worried and suspect that stress may be harming your heart, there are some signs to look out for.
Possible signs of stress on the heart include:
- Irregular heartbeats
- Heart palpitations
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Elevated blood sugar
- High blood pressure
- Inflammation in the body can cause the build up of plaque in the arteries leading to heart disease
If you have experienced some of these signs of stress, it may be a good time to check your heart health. Heart health tests are a great way to learn more about the condition of your heart and intervene before any damage or disease development takes place.
Does stress affect blood pressure?
Temporary bouts of stress can result in an increase in blood pressure. Over time, repeated incidents of stress can lead to long-term hypertension (increased blood pressure), which can damage blood vessels and the heart.
In general, stress can cause higher levels of inflammation in the body which can have an effect on blood pressure. Chronic inflammation, which can be brought on by stress, can result in stiffening of the arteries as well as damage to blood vessels. These effects on the circulatory system may then lead to increased blood pressure.
During periods of stress, the brain perceives a threat leading to the release of hormones such as adrenaline in order to instigate a ‘flight or fight’ reaction. The effects of adrenaline include increased blood pressure and a quickened heart rate, pumping blood around the body at a faster rate. While this is useful if you need to escape danger, adrenaline makes the heart work faster, leading to a rise in blood pressure to help your body cope with this increased blood flow.
Can stress lead to a heart attack?
Another hormone released in stressful situations is cortisol. This hormone is known as the stress hormone and is released into the bloodstream during times of stress. Long-term stress can increase the risk of a stress related heart attack, as more and more cortisol is released.
High levels of cortisol have been linked to increases in blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure, all of which are risk factors for heart attacks. High cholesterol and triglyceride levels are associated with the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries due to plaque buildup. This plaque, formed from fatty substances and waste products, restricts and blocks blood flow, increasing heart attack and stroke risk.
Stress also encourages the adoption of unhealthy diet and lifestyle habits. Feelings of overwhelm and stress can put individuals off taking part in regular exercise and making healthier choices. Binge eating, increased levels of alcohol consumption and smoking are also unhealthy habits that we turn to in times of stress for temporary relief. Unfortunately, these unhelpful diet and lifestyle choices can increase cardiovascular disease and heart attack risk.
How can I deal with stress?
The link between stress and cardiovascular disease is an important reason to be mindful of your stress and anxiety levels. So, how can you better manage your stress levels and reduce your risk of developing heart related issues?
Recognising stress triggers is the first step to addressing stress levels. Common causes of chronic stress include financial worries, work pressures, family disputes, relationship issues, health concerns.
Looking out for the symptoms of stress is the next step. There are a few typical signs of stress to watch out for:
- Unexplained aches and pains
- Inability to sleep
- Fatigue or low energy
- Behavioural changes
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in appetite
- Decreased sex drive
- Increased reliance on alcohol or drugs
- Emotional changes
If you have experienced a combination of these symptoms for several weeks or more, you may be under stress. Coping with stress is an important way to avoid it having a negative impact on your heart health. Ways to deal with stress in your everyday life include:
- Get active: regular exercise can offer stress relief and keep your heart healthy too
- Time out: ensure that you take time out for yourself for socialising and relaxation
- Kick habits: avoid unhealthy habits such as smoking and excessive drinking or drug abuse, as these can perpetuate feelings of stress and are harmful to heart health
- Sleep hygiene: it is important that you get enough sleep and make sure that you have a nighttime routine to encourage natural feelings of sleep
- Support system: talking to trusted loved ones and friends can help reduce feelings of stress and can help to find solutions to problems causing you stress
- Eat healthily: a varied diet rich in micronutrients offers many benefits to physical as well as mental health
How can I check my heart health?
If you are worried that stress may be affecting your heart health, a full body Health MOT can check on the health of your cardiovascular system. With stress affecting risk factors for high blood pressure and heart attacks, heart health tests are essential if you feel that your stress levels are high.
Our heart health tests include a Blood Pressure Test, Lipoprotein (a),Plac Test, ECG Test and a Heart Disease and Stroke Assessment. You can book your tests today and avoid a lengthy waiting time for an appointment. Additionally, with 350+ venues across the UK, we offer accurate and reliable private testing with no invasive procedures, long travel times or busy waiting rooms.
Our range of heart health tests are included in or can be added onto our full body private health assessments, or alternatively booked as individual tests. Just call us before your appointment to add an extra test.
