Research linking stress to heart attacks 'building up'

The amount of research linking elevated stress levels with the likelihood of having a heart attack continues to grow and should not be ignored for much longer, it has been claimed.

Denise Armstrong, lifestyle manager at Heart Research UK, said that it comes as "no surprise" that stress is being attributed to an increasing number of heart disease cases.

Her comments followed the publication of data by University College London, published in the European Heart Journal, which showed that stress is a considerable risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), which remains the single biggest killer in the UK.

The study involved 514 healthy men and women with an average age of 62 without a history or objective signs of CHD, whose stress levels and incidence of the disease were then monitored, with experts finding that those under the most pressure had more heart attacks and were far more likely to develop heart disease.

Ms Armstrong said that the majority of the public knows that stress is a factor in heart attacks already but the new study may persuade them to alter their lifestyle to avoid the likelihood of developing the disease.

She pointed out that the main ways of protecting oneself is to try and avoid activities which are likely to elevate stress levels and follow well-known practices for dealing with stress-related illness.

"So [doing] things like, getting plenty of exercise, eating a healthy balanced diet, relaxation, putting into place time management skills and generally having a look at their lifestyle [can help to reduce stress]," the expert said.

Posted by Louise Jones

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