why does stress cause heart attacks?

Answer 1

People have long believed that high levels of emotional stress is linked to causing heart attacks. We've all heard about "Type A" personalities - so-called stress junkies - have increased risk of stress-related diseases. Yes, until recently, doctors and scientists have had no science-based evidence to what most of us have believed all along. Ironically, stress doesn't seem to cause heart problems during the 'heat of the moment," but rather later, sometimes months (or longer) later.

While we're until mental stress, adrenalin (also called epinephrine) or other related hormones are released into the blood stream. The hormones are important because they are also neurotransmitters and act like the drugs related to them - amphetamine and ephedrine - they are stimulants, which causes, among other things, increased heart rate and blood pressure. These neurotransmitters can be detected in our urine and after a heart attack and they are an important diagnostic tool. But their levels can be measured at other times, giving doctors a sign of someone under chronic stress.

As I mentioned, it seems that people suffer heart attacks months later after a specific stressful incident, such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. Yet we've all heard of folks that got some extremely bad news, like the death of a loved one, and they had a heart attack on the spot. Scientists are still looking for hard evidence, but I know and I'm sure you know it's true, too. Sites below. Be well.

Rick the Pharmacist

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Depression, stress, loneliness, a positive (or negative) outlook on life, and other psychosocial factors extend beyond affecting mood and reach into the heart.

In terms of their contribution to heart attacks, psychosocial factors are on a par with smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and cholesterol problems. How do emotions, behaviors, or social situations promote heart disease or make it worse? No one really knows, says the Harvard Heart Letter, which will be exploring the mind-heart connection in its next two issues as well. But there are plenty of theories.

Stress hormones top the list. They constrict blood vessels, speed up the heartbeat, and make the heart and blood vessels especially reactive to further stress. Psychosocial factors have also been linked with factors that signal increased inflammation, which plays an important role in artery-clogging atherosclerosis. Psychosocial factors could also make people more or less likely to pick up habits that tip them toward heart disease or away from it.

The connection between psychosocial factors and heart disease is so strong that today’s cardiologists should ask their patients about moods, stress, and support, says the Harvard Heart Letter. Most don’t, at least not yet. If yours doesn’t, it’s worth bringing up these issues yourself. Because physicians get little training in this area, though, don’t be surprised if yours is uncomfortable discussing psychosocial factors, or doesn't know how to help. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to ask for a referral to a mental health professional.-

Answer 4

Psychological stress increases the release of stress hormones, people with heart disease face greater risks of serious cardiac events during emotional stress. Heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmias are both related to a surge in stress hormones known as catecholamines, which stimulate nerve chemicals.While catecholamines like adrenalin and noradrenalin increase, precipitate arrhythmias of the heart, other sympathomimetic actions like increased sweating,respiration are not life threatening..
Cardiac nerves are "specially and selectively" stimulated by stress related hormones. More than stress "the civilised way of not expressing the stress in the form of anger etc" causes heart attacks
Civilised response to stress is dangerous. But we can`t help it.Heart attacks occur often not while a parson is stressed but while taking rest after a stressful situation ie when conscious or subconscious mind is controlling the stress.
Beta blockers in low doses eliminate stress related cardiac responses. and are good prophylactics for heart attacks.

Answer 5

There's a lot less relationship than most people think, but the vasoconstriction and tachycardia of an adrenaline surge do increase myocardial oxygen demand and slightly decrease blood supply, and some folks have enough coronary artery disease that they're teetering on the edge on a good day, so any little change can make a difference.

Answer 6

It tends to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and causes the heart rate to increase.