How does stress affect blood cholesterol?

Surely, you can identify a handful of stressors in your life if you have high cholesterol levels. Whether it's your health, your finances, your job, or the health of a loved one, most people encounter varying degrees of stress. There are good stresses and there are negative stressors. Good stressors such as exercise help you to develop stronger muscles, more stamina, and a healthier outlook. Negative stressors make your spirits sink and leave you feeling tired, burdened, a bit lackluster, skeptical and disinterested. It's this kind of stress that sets off a chain reaction in your nervous system, triggering high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and, if not controlled, heart disease.

Create a list of your positive and negative stressors. Developing a regular stress reduction practice gives your body an opportunity to rejuvenate and gives your cholesterol levels an opportunity to drop. You may not be able to get rid of all of the stressors in your life, but through regular stress reduction you can start to balance your list of positive and negative stressors, and this should help your cholesterol levels.