Stress and Heart Disease

Ah. It seems that stress or more specifically stress and heart disease is a popular topic these days. My doctor told me that stress contributed to my vasospasms. But stress can also contribute to Atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries).

According to the authors of the Mayo Clinic Heart Book, the risk of developing atherosclerosis is increased by certain risk factors: genetics, eating a high-fat diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, and diabetes. People with these risk factors have a higher likelihood of developing fatty plaques in their arteries which may eventually lead to a blockage and cause a heart attack.

There is a large body of research that also links stress to heart disease. Dr. Mimi Guarneri, in The Heart Speaks, tells an interesting story about a man who had a heart attack due to work stress.

Today, I came across an article online based on research by professors at the University of Utah and Ohio State University College of Medicine that have found a link between marital stress and heart disease. Marital Stress Linked to Heart Disease It’s a good article you might be interested in reading.

Okay, I have to inject a little humor here to relieve the stress of reading an article about stress. As women, we’ve intuitively known that a bad marriage can be very stressful. Divorces are just as stressful. Jobs are stressful. So are four kids at home with the flu. So maybe someday we will see a new list of risk factors: living in today’s society may cause heart disease. To lower your risk, move to a remote location far from husbands, kids, family, jobs, greenhouse gases, wild fires, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, etc.

I’ve got an idea – let’s all find a new planet :-)