Stress - Complications

Nevertheless, evidence is still needed to confirm any clear cut relationship between stress and heart disease. For example, a 2002 study in Scotland found no greater risk for actual heart disease or heart events even in men who reported higher mental stress. In fact, higher stress was associated with fewer heart events. (Men with high stress levels did tend to complain of chest pain and to go to the hospital for it more often than those with lower stress. They also went to the hospital more often.)

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Evidence has linked stress to heart disease in men, particularly in work situations where they lack control. The association between stress and heart problems in women is weaker and there is some evidence that the ways women cope with stress may be more heart-protective. In one study, for example, men were more apt than women to use alcohol or eat less healthily in response to stress than women, which might account for their higher heart risks from stress. Different stressors may affect genders differently. In one study, work stress was associated with a higher risk for heart disease in men, but marital stress-- not work stress--was associated with more severe heart disease in women with existing heart problems.

Stress Reduction and Heart Disease. Studies in 2001 and 2002 suggest that treatments that reduce psychological distress improve long-term outlook in people with heart disease, including after a heart attack. Some evidence exists that stress management programs may reduce the risk of heart events (e.g., heart attack) by up to 75% in people with heart disease. Specific stress management techniques may help some problems but not others. For example, acupuncture in one study helped people with heart failure but had no effect on blood pressure. Relaxation methods, on the other hand, may help hypertensive individuals.

Stroke

One survey revealed that men who had a more intense response to stressful situations, such as waiting in line or problems at work, were more likely to have strokes than those who did not report such distress. In some people prolonged or frequent mental stress causes an exaggerated increase in blood pressure. In fact, a 2001 study has linked for the first time a higher risk for stroke in adult Caucasian men and elevated blood pressure during times of stress.

Effect on the Immune System

Chronic stress affects the immune system in complex ways, which may have various effects.

Susceptibility to Infections. Chronic stress appears to blunt the immune system's response to infections and may even impair a person's response to immunizations. A number of studies have shown that subjects under chronic stress have low white blood cell counts and are vulnerable to colds. And once any person catches a cold or flu, stress can exacerbate symptoms. People who harbor herpes virus or HIVmay be more susceptible to viral activation following exposure to stress. Even more serious, some research has found that HIV-infected men with high stress levels progress more rapidly to AIDS when compared to those with lower stress levels.