Stress is a part of life. Some amount of it is needed. It helps motivate us and helps us avoid danger. But too much stress isn’t a good thing — especially if it goes on for too long. You’re more likely to get sick, and it can harm your heart. Stress and heart disease seem to follow each other.
"It's important to find ways to reduce stress in your life,” says Christopher Kramer, MD, a UVA Health cardiologist and the chief of the cardiovascular division. “While it's easier said than done, managing stress can significantly lower your risk of heart problems."
How Does Stress Cause Heart Disease?
First, it’s mostly chronic stress that affects our hearts. Chronic stress is the kind that’s long-term and lasting. Acute or short-term stress — like one bad day at work — won’t have as much of an impact.
Long-term stress can impact your heart and the blood vessels around your body (called the vascular system). Stress increases the risk of heart disease by:
- Causing blood vessels to tighten: When we're stressed, our bodies react by narrowing our blood vessels. That can reduce blood flow to the heart and other vital organs. Over time, that puts extra strain on your heart.
- Triggering inflammation: Chronic stress can lead to inflammation. That inflammation can damage blood vessels and increase plaque buildup in your arteries.
- Causing blood clots to form: Stress can make it more likely for blood clots to form. Those clots can block blood flow to the heart or brain, leading to heart attack or stroke.
- Causing an irregular heartbeat: Stress can cause irregular heart rhythms, such as rapid heart rate. That can put even more strain on your heart.
“Stress can lead to a chain reaction of problems in your heart,” says Kramer. “All of these things are interrelated. It’s hard to separate which is the most important. They’re all important and contribute in different ways.”
Stress & Heart Disease: Who’s at Risk?
Stress is more likely to hurt your heart if you already have a heart condition or risk factors for heart disease, like:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Obesity
But can stress cause heart disease just by itself? “That's not well understood, but probably not if you don't have all the other risk factors,” says Kramer. “Everybody experiences some stress, but we don’t all have heart attacks or heart disease.”
Stress Management & Other Ways to Make Your Heart Happy
Do you feel stressed just reading this? The good news is there are things you can do to reduce how stress harms your heart.
Too Much Stress?
A UVA Health specialist can check your risk for heart disease and help you manage stress to lower your risk.
We can’t always control stressful things in our lives. But we can reduce stress with:
- Relaxation and mindfulness: Meditation and deep breathing can calm your mind.
- Physical activity: Regular exercise releases endorphins and lowers stress levels. (Walking counts: here are 7 tips for being more active.)
- Quality sleep: 7-9 hours of sleep each night refreshes your body and mind.
- A healthy diet: Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good for your overall well-being.
- Social connections: Time with loved ones and other social activities can reduce isolation and stress.
Kramer says exercise is the most important heart “medication” we have. “It can counteract all the effects of stress and many of the effects of other cardiac risk factors.”
Other steps you can take to reduce your heart attack risk overall:
- Stop smoking
- Try to lose weight if you're overweight
- Treat your high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
A lot of this sounds simple, but it can be hard to do. If you’re dealing with too much stress and need help making changes, your primary care doctor or a UVA Health heart specialist can help.
