Don’t Let Anxiety And Its Insidious Effects Harm Your Heart

Your brain is on overdrive as you patiently wait for the manager to begin the final interview for that dream job. Your heart pounds and your stomach lurches; the effects of anxiety is both, intuitive and immediate.

Evolved over the years, our body’s fight or flight system promotes survival by inciting persons to steer clear of potential harm.“We’re here because our ancestors were so brave and could survive through times of terrible stress and threat,” says Carmen Sandi, who leads a behavioral genetics laboratory in Switzerland. He adds, “The problem nowadays is that we’re activating this ancient survival response in a job interview.”

So what exactly does a fight or flight response imply?

Also known as the acute stress response, it activates when a person perceives that danger is possible. When that happens, certain hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flood the bloodstream. The result is a faster heart rate and breathing, shunting of blood to our arms and legs. Additionally the sudden influx of glucose gives the body a burst of energy and strength. Enough energy and strength to either fight or take flight.

So, all good things right? Not really, in an article written by John Hopkins Medicine, Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H. said, “stress can increase inflammation in your body. Inflammation links to factors harmful to your heart, such as high blood pressure and lower “good” HDL cholesterol. A 2016 study concluded that among patients with cardiovascular disease, anxiety and formal anxiety disorders are common. Although researchers still do not know which triggers the other, what is known is that cardiovascular effects include the development and progression of coronary artery disease (i.e atherosclerosis) and heart failure.

Generalized Anxiety – How it affects your Cardiovascular System

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry over a number of things ( i.e money, work, family, relationships) over a period of 6 months or more. Attributing 5% of the general population to GAD, you’d be surprised to know that that number is far higher (11%) in those diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Source: Stop, breathe, think

Dr. Christopher Celano, a Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program researcher at Harvard-affiliated Hospital adds, “It’s not completely clear whether anxiety triggers heart disease or vice versa.” These unbefitting ups and downs create a bunch of physiological changes, including increased blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms. It even makes platelets (which help in blood clotting) “stickier”.  Such changes in the blood chemistry endanger people with anxiety disorders to an increased likelihood of a heart attack.

Perhaps fear is expected but it doesn’t have to paralyze us from living our lives. Obstacles in life will come, it is unavoidable. But who we are and how we face the adversities that challenge us is what ultimately defines us.

Managing anxiety

With plenty of self-help articles on how to manage anxiety, here are some of the things you can do to subdue anxiety

1. Slower breathing
2. Positive affirmations
3. Eat better
4. Exercise
5. Stay in the present

Source: Stop,breathe,think.com

And if that doesn’t help, behavioral cognitive therapy, or talk therapy, can help identify and control anxiety. Alternatively, you could also talk to your doctor about anti-anxiety medications such as, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that doctors currently prescribed for anxiety.

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Tags

• acutestressresponse
• anxiety
• anxietydisorder
• bloodpressure
• heartattack
• mentalhealth
• prevention
• research
• stress