The discussion about the health risks of stress have been going on for quite some time. things including “keeping your stress level down”. Honestly, I disregarded this because it With studies being done all the time regarding the consequences of stress on the health of particular organs, the body as a whole and even emotional health it’s hard to not want to take a closer look at the damage stress can cause. Problems of the heart is something that has run in my family for a long time so keeping my heart healthy is very important to me so when I asked my doctor about what I can do to keep my heart in shape I was surprised when she listed some sounded pretty silly that stressing about getting homework done on time or even stressing about getting things on my ‘To-Do List’ taken care of could have any relation to a future heart attack. I was surprised when I started reading about the connection between stress and cardiovascular disease in textbooks, the internet and journals. “About 30 percent of heart attacks may be linked to “psychosocial factors”” (Gulliksson , 2011). This stunned me, heart attacks are supposed to be caused by biology and a poor diet, how can it be caused by psychology or sociology factors?
So, what is stress? Stress is different to everyone and I’m sure the definition is different as well. Right now, my stress is balancing homework with work with family life with a social life (and trying to find time to work out). I am sure that victims of the tsunami in Japan have completely different stresses. We need to try to clarify these, my stresses are known as every day hassles or stresses that occur on a daily basis such as homework or my long commute to work and Japan victims stresses are classified as cataclysmic events which are defined as sudden and powerful “that require major adaptive responses from population groups sharing the experience” (Health Psychology 2010, 2007). Another type of stress is called life events which are events including but not limited to losing a job or the loss of a loved one (Health Psychology 2010, 2007). Extended reactions to stress can alter the body's immune system in ways that are associated with other "aging" conditions such as frailty, functional decline, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.” (Weiss & Molitor , 2011)
One article that I found talked about a study performed to see how Cognitive Behavioral Training, focusing on stress management, would help or not help those who have heart disease compared to other with heart disease who didn’t receive CBT but did receive medications to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and reduce blood clots (Gulliksson , 2011). In this longitude study, of 362 participants being divided into 2 groups, results were measured after 8 years and included the number of deaths, heart attacks and cardiovascular events. The group that participated in CBT went through 20 two hour sessions throughout the course of a year while the other group continued to only take their medications. After 8 years, the results were in! In the CBT group there were “23 deaths, 69 cardiovascular events and 41 heart attacks” and in the group that did not receive therapy “25 died, 77 had any type of cardiovascular events and 51 suffered from heart attacks” (Gulliksson , 2011). Concluding that those who partook in therapy had 41% fewer deaths and 45% fewer heart attacks” (Gulliksson , 2011). These results show that stress and not being able to manage stress can be a determinant for future heart attacks. Stress isn’t the sole accomplice to cardiovascular disease but it seems to be a big part of it. In a similar study of 362 women who had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, one group was exposed to CBT and another was not. The results were almost identical the group with the therapy intervention “had a 41% lower rate of fatal and nonfatal first recurrent Cardiovascular disease events” (Gulliksson, 2010).
One article gives the recommendations of “identify the cause, monitor your moods, make time for yourself at least two to three times a week, walk away when angry, analyze your schedule, set reasonable standards for yourself and others” (Weiss & Molitor , 2011) as means of trying to control levels of stress. It’s important the people with heart disease are informed that stress could have an impact on future heart attacks. Not only patients with heart conditions but all health professionals should be fully aware of the damage that stress can cause so they can be sure to relay this information to their patients. Doctors will wait until they are completely sure of facts before telling their patients about it and that’s fair but I think that they should be aware of studies like that one that I presented. This is a topic that is important for health psychologist because it’s in their ‘department’ tying in psychology with physical health is what they do and it’s important for them to conduct as many studies as possible and put the information out in the public so the word can be spread and lives can be saved.
Here is a cycle of stress, there heart disease problems occur during the “Physical health decline, Psychological strain and Decreased motivation” phase.
Gulliksson, M. (2010). Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy vs standard treatment to prevent recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease: secondary prevention in uppsala primary health care project (suprim). Archives of internal medicine (1960), 171(2), Retrieved from http://archinte.ama-assn.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/cgi/reprint/171/2/134 doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.510
Gulliksson, M. (2011, Janurary 25). Stress-reduction therapy may help heart disease patients. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_108035.html
Health psychology. (2010, 1007). Belmont: Wadsworth.
Weiss, S., & Molitor, N. (2011). Mind/body health: Stress. Retrieved from http://www.mind4solutions.com/images/stress_cycle.gif
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