April is Stress Awareness Month, and with the sudden changes to our lives from COVID-19, it’s timely to talk about the effect that stress has on your heart and cholesterol, plus how to manage stress.
What is Stress?
Stress is the body’s response to a trigger or stressor. Think back to caveman days when we had to hunt for food. If a lion jumped out (the trigger), it would set off a chain of reactions in the body - heart would beat faster, blood pressure would rise, and you’d have to make an immediate decision - will you fight it or run? This is also known as the “flight or fight” response. And it’s essential for survival.
The same thing happens today. We just have different triggers - our boss, our kids, traffic, a deadline, money, and more.
When faced with a stressor, the following hormones rise in the body:
Cortisol
Adrenaline
Noradrenaline
These lead to rapid breathing, a faster heartbeat, rising blood pressure, and tense muscles. At the same time, the body suppresses the digestive and immune systems because these aren’t immediately needed for survival. All efforts are focused on “fight or flight.”
Acute Stress vs. Chronic Stress
Acute stress refers to a stressful event that is quickly resolved (i.e. lion jumps out, you decide to run, you get away) or you have a big presentation at work but when it’s over, you don’t feel stressed anymore.
Chronic stress refers to a continual state of stress. This is often caused by relationship issues, financial difficulties, or anything that causes you to constantly feel stressed with no solution. The current coronavirus pandemic may have you feeling chronically stressed.
Chronic stress is the worst for our health.
Effect of Stress on Cholesterol and the Heart
It’s unclear the exact link between stress, cholesterol, and heart disease, but scientists agree that stress has a negative impact on the heart. Studies suggest that high cortisol levels from chronic stress may increase cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
What we do know is that when people are stressed, they tend to turn to not-so-healthy ways of coping, and many of these coping mechanisms are linked to higher cholesterol and an increased risk for heart disease.
Examples include:
Consuming comfort foods. When you’re stressed, cortisol rises in the body. Cortisol tells the body you need energy now (so you can fight or flee). What’s another name for energy? Sugar. Or carbs. Ever consumed pizza, bread, chocolate, or cookies when you’re stressed? Foods high in saturated and trans fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. And eating too much sugar is linked to poor cardiovascular health.
Drinking too much alcohol. Stress may cause you to drink more. Excessive alcohol intake is linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Drinking alcohol also raises blood pressure.
Smoking. Smoking damages your blood vessels and reduces oxygen in your blood forcing your heart to work harder. It’s never too late to quit.
Not sleeping enough. Stress interferes with sleep by making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Lack of sleep raises the risk of heart disease. Plus, when people don’t get enough sleep it messes with hunger hormones and increases cravings.
Ways to Lower Stress
There are two ways to tackle stress:
Remove the stressor
Have healthy coping mechanisms
Removing the Stressor
You don’t have control over all the things that cause you stress, but are there some you can control?
Can you choose a different route to work to avoid the stress of daily traffic? Or take the train instead?
Can you work on being more organized with your finances or institute family meetings to get a better handle on your schedule?
Are there relationships you need to re-evaluate?
Can you ask for help from people at home or work with some of the tasks burdening you each day?
Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Eat a healthy diet. Aim for 15-20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber at breakfast to reduce carb cravings later in the day. At lunch and dinner, make ½ your plate vegetables, ¼ protein, and ¼ whole grains. Incorporate fatty fish like salmon or tuna 1-2x/week. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation in the body, and contribute to healthy cholesterol levels.
Exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, which boost mood. In addition, exercise helps people maintain a healthy weight, which keeps cholesterol levels healthy and heart disease at bay. Cardio exercise can also raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Some prefer to sweat through running or spinning, while others prefer yoga to keep them calm. Choose the activities you enjoy most.
Meditate. Meditating doesn’t have to be fancy. Whether you close your eyes and focus on breathing, pray, or go to a yoga class, taking time to be quiet and focus inward can immediately reduce blood pressure.
Stay positive. People who have a positive outlook on life have lower risks of chronic diseases. Plus, laughing may lower stress hormones and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Get a massage. Getting a massage can help you relax, unplug from work and personal responsibilities, and focus inward, similar to meditation. Schedule one once a month to help reduce chronic stress.
Go on vacation. Plan a vacation - if planning won’t cause you more stress! Escaping it all for a little while can help rejuvenate and motivate you, keeping stress low.
Unplug from work and social media. We are constantly being notified of emails, comments, and messages because we carry around a device that connects us to thousands of people. Ever looked at your phone while doing something fun with your family and had your mood immediately change because of an email you received or a post you saw on social media? Fully unplug for an entire day or weekend to keep stress levels low.
References:1. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2171
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313207#indirect_effects_of_stress_on_cholesterol