Stress and the Heart

For many, February is the month of "love “due to its association with Valentine’s Day; red roses and pink hearts are everywhere. However, February is also Heart Health Awareness Month.

The state of one’s mental health can have either a positive or negative impact on their physical health and can be considered a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Constant stress is a contributing factor for many people who have poor mental health. Stressful situations set off a chain of events within oneself. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions prepare you to deal with the situation, and it is known as the “fight or flight” response. When stress is short-lived, it can help with performance; for example, it can propel you to meet a major deadline, when interviewing for a new job or focusing to achieve a goal. Also, stress can be lifesaving in the face of danger, but long-term stress induced by financial difficulties, family discord, or trauma is a different story.

Chronic stress can increase inflammation in your body, which in turn is linked to factors that can harm your heart, such as high blood pressure. While stress is a common and normal part of life, severe or consistent stress may contribute to some poor health behaviors that are linked to increased risk for heart disease and stroke. When you’re worried, you tend to sleep poorly. You’re also less likely to exercise or make healthy food choices; all of which can put your heart health at risk. Other poor health behaviors commonly used to cope with stress include smoking, excessively drinking and isolating yourself from others. Chronic stress has been shown to be associated with increased cardiovascular events. A 2017 study in The Lancet used images of part of the brain involved with fear and stress and found links between stress and heart disease episodes. Brain and bone marrow activity, alongside artery inflammation were all studied as well, and the findings illustrate mechanisms through which emotional stressors can lead to heart disease.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study is one of the largest studies of childhood abuse, neglect and household challenges and its relation to later-in-life health and well-being. It examined the impact of and relationship between traumatic and severely stressful events that happen during a child’s life and their future health (mental, emotional, and physical) and well-being outcomes. The study found that as the number of ACEs increases so does the risk for negative outcomes, including heart disease.

Benchmarks currently facilitates trauma training for local County DSS offices, and the Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) project is offering trauma training to local DSS community partners as well. In this training, participants discuss the ACEs study, stress’ relationship to traumatic events experienced in childhood, and the impacts they have on one’s long-term well-being. It is important to be mindful that adults are not the only individuals who experience stress, but infants and children can as well - making them susceptible to the lifelong effects of severe and consistent stress. This knowledge is key in preventing negative health outcomes for all individuals both in their present and future.

Fortunately, there are various ways to manage stress. These include but are not limited to:

1. Exercising-It can relieve stress, tension, anxiety, and depression. Consider a nature walk, meditation or yoga.
2. Making time for friends and family. It’s important to maintain social connections and talk with people you trust.
3. Getting enough sleep. Adults should aim for seven to nine hours a night.
4. Maintaining a positive attitude.
5. Practicing relaxation techniques while listening to music.
6. Finding a stimulating hobby that can be fun and distract you from negative thoughts or worries.

As part of Benchmarks’ Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) and Partnering for Excellence (PFE) work, local County DSS partners are trained to identify the symptoms and/or stressors of children through early trauma screening. Also, Benchmarks trains clinicians in conducting Trauma-intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessments (TiCCAs), which is a holistic assessment that helps determine how to best support the child in all domains of life, including that of physical health.  The goal is to use tools in our current system that will help the child with their stressors and learn coping skills that may impact better long-life health. By addressing trauma events and stress symptoms early after a child becomes involved with County DSS offices, kids can receive the right kind of help earlier, decreasing their stress and leading to better health outcomes in childhood. This can lead to better health outcomes as an adult, which includes reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke!