Hormonal
Persistent psychological stress is causally associated with an increased risk of fatal or non-fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) events in a dose-dependent manner.
Chronic, unmanaged stress is a direct physical risk factor for heart attacks, not just a feeling. The risk increases with the frequency and persistence of stress. Managing stress is as critical for heart health as diet and exercise because it reduces the biological 'allostatic load' that damages blood vessels and heart tissue over time.
We found a clear dose-response relationship for the association between psychological stress and CHD events in both genders. That is, subjects with consistently high psychological stress in all assessments had a 2.4-fold (men) or 2.3-fold (women) higher risk for later CHD events compared to never-stressed subjects.
Why this rating
Large longitudinal cohort (Whitehall II) with robust adjustment for covariates, supported by RCT evidence for stress management.
Source
Psychological stress, body shape and cardiovascular events: Results from the Whitehall II study
Britta Kubera et al. · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2021
DOI 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100104
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