How is emotional stress linked to heart diseases?
-
Dr. Dean Ornish answered:Emotional stress plays a major role in heart disease, both directly and indirectly.
There are direct connections between your brain and arteries throughout your body. Your brain communicates with your body in a number of ways, primarily via your nervous system and your hormones.
During times of stress, your brain stimulates your sympathetic nervous system. Your adrenal glands secrete stress hormones. Working together, these give you more energy to fight or to run, which helps you survive during times of danger.
Your heart beats faster. Also, the arteries in your arms and legs constrict and your blood clots more easily. This has survival value, so if you get wounded in battle or if a saber-toothed tiger bites you, you don’t bleed as much.
However, when stresses become chronic, as many people experience, these same mechanisms that are supposed to protect you may cause a heart attack if the arteries in your heart constrict or if blood clots form there.
Emotional stress plays a major role in heart disease, both directly and indirectly. There are direct connections between your brain and arteries throughout your body. Your brain communicates with your body in a number of ways, primarily via your... More
