Stress is inevitable in everyday life but you should learn how to manage stress especially since it is found to be associated with several health problems. In fact, several studies have been conducted linking stress to cardiac problems.
A new study published in March 2009 on the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported a connection between sudden cardiac arrest and mental stress, the former being the major culprit in over 400,000 deaths each year. The research demonstrates that anger and stress trigger electrical charges in the heart, predicting future arrhythmias in patients.
Arrhythmia is a medical term for a group of conditions wherein the heart produces an abnormal electrical activity. As a result, the heartbeat may be too slow or too fast, and the condition may be regular or irregular. Some arrhythmias are critical in that they cause cardiac arrest and sudden death while others are inclined to cause embolus or stroke. Some may also cause aggravating symptoms like palpitations.
Researchers examined 62 patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, which are devices used to monitor heart rhythms, and produce painful shocks whenever they respond to dangerous rhythms.
According to Dr. Charles Raison, psychiatrist and director of Mind/Body Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, studies have shown that most patients were angry prior to experiencing the heart attack.
Another research published in 2008 looks into the effect of work stress on the cardiovascular system. The study demonstrated that work stress could lead to coronary heart disease (CHD). The study conducted in London showed that the risk of CHD had an average of 68% more for people subjected to work stress compared to those who reported the absence of work stress. The finding also linked work stress to the biological mechanisms underlying CHD, including the autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine function, both of which affect the signals to the heart that may lead to cardiac instability.