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| Are You Stressing Your Heart? |
| James Beckerman, MD, FACC / WebMD |
| 3/1/2010 |
| Between the economy, winter doldrums, and the latest episode of "Lost," there is a lot to be stressed about these days. And you don't need to be a doctor to know that stress manifests itself in many different ways, from the more obvious anxiety or depression to more subtle signs, like gastrointestinal distress, sleep disturbance, and yep - chest pain. Scientific research tells us that stressful situations are associated with an increased risk of heart attacks. The best data has shown how large-scale natural and human disasters like tsunamis and terrorist attacks are correlated with more heart attacks and deaths from heart disease in the time period following these tragedies. This goes for people in the general vicinity as well as for others thousands of miles away. I imagine that we will be seeing similar data emerge in the aftermath of the recent events in Haiti. While you might not be surprised by the impact of stressors of such magnitude, it is fascinating how every-day stressors can increase our overall cardiac risk as well. The stress of a job, marriage, or golf game in disrepair can result in depression, anxiety, and even anger (especially with golf), all of which may double or even triple our risk of having a heart attack. So what's the missing link? ... Click here for full article |
| Additional Information: http://blogs.webmd.com/heart-disease/2010/02/are-you-stressing-your-heart.html |