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FEBRUARY 2017
caremountmedical.com
Stress and Heart Health:
5 Tips for Understanding the Connection
by Richard Keating, MD FACC
It’s safe to say nobody likes feeling stressed. Not only does chronic stress – which can stem from
many personal and professional situations – make us feel lousy, it can set off a chain of damaging
physical and emotional effects. These include moodiness, poor sleep, and high or low appetite.
But another pressing concern is
whether stress is potentially
dangerous to the heart. The top
killer of both men and women –
claiming more than 600,00 lives in
the United States each year – heart
problems have long been linked to
state of mind. In fact, physician
William Harvey, who in the 17th
century discovered the heart’s
circulation of blood around the
body, famously wrote how “every
affection of the mind that is
attended either with pain or
pleasure, hope or fear, is the cause
of an agitation whose influence
extends to the heart.”
5 Ways Stress
Affects the Heart
Stress comes in 2 main forms: acute
and chronic. Acutely stressful
situations – such as hearing terrible
news – can trigger a “fight or flight”
response that may lead to a heart
attack. During sudden stress,
the body produces a surge of
adrenaline that causes breathing
and heart rates to increase. This can
be very dangerous for the heart for
individuals with other cardiac
risk factors.
But even chronic stress can cause
unhealthy conditions for the heart.
Here are 5 ways:
• High blood pressure: Lasting stress
can cause our bodies to produce
too much adrenaline, cortisol and
other stress-related hormones on a
regular basis. These hormones can
constrict blood vessels, triggering
high blood pressure, a major risk
factor for heart disease.
Scientists are still uncovering all
the ways that stress contributes to
heart disease. But it’s already clear
that stress contributes to behaviors
and other factors that raise heart
disease risk.
• Poor eating habits: Ever want to
shovel junk food into your mouth
after a bad day? (Perhaps a
better question is, who hasn’t?)
But making a habit of eating highfat, processed foods and sweets
can lead to obesity and high
cholesterol levels, which both
strain the heart.
• Excess alcohol intake: A glass or
two of wine is fine once in awhile,
but stress is known to provoke
people to drink too much (which
may make them also eat too
much of the wrong foods).
Excess alcohol can also raise levels
of dangerous fats in the blood
known as triglycerides and raise
blood pressure.
• Smoking: The highly addictive
drug nicotine found in cigarettes
leads many to opt for its relaxing
properties to combat stress –
even though they know smoking
causes heart disease by
damaging blood vessels.
• Lack of exercise: When we’re
stressed, often the last thing we
want to do is exercise. After all, it
seems far more relaxing to sit on
the couch than walk a couple of
miles or work out at the gym.
But damaging effects of
inactivity include high blood
pressure, obesity and other
major cardiac risk factors.
(continued on other side)
Stress and Heart Health...
CareMount Medical is Proud to
Welcome the Following Health Care
Professionals to Our Group
(continued from front side)
Barbara S. Blanco, MD
Diagnostic Radiology
Fishkill, Westage &
all Radiology sites
Linda X. Do, NP
Internal Medicine
Mount Kisco
Tips to Help
Minimize Stress
Learning to properly manage stress
pays off in many important ways –
including helping us feel more
relaxed and capable of dealing
with life. But the role of stress
management is also being studied in
relation to combating heart disease.
According to the American Heart
Association, several therapies that
incorporate both psychological and
social aspects appear to be helpful in
preventing a second heart attack.
To minimize heart hazards related to
stress, it’s key to tackle the stress itself
and any unhealthy habits stemming
from it. In addition to eating properly,
exercising, and avoiding smoking and
excess drinking, stress-busting tactics
include meditating and regularly unplugging from digital devices. Stress
management classes can also help
and are offered at many community
colleges or through hospitals.
Richard Keating,
MD FACC
Director of Cardiology
Patricia G. McPartland, FNP
Gastroenterology
Mount Kisco
Paul Mullin, MD
Neurology
Rhinebeck & Kingston
Lauren Mandell, PA
Urology
Mount Kisco &
Putnam Hospital Center
For more information please visit:
www.caremountmedical.com
February 4 is world cancer day
Taking place under the tagline
‘We can. I can.’, World Cancer Day
2016-2018 will explore how everyone –
as a collective or as individuals – can do
their part to reduce the global burden
of cancer.
World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect
on what you can do, make a pledge and
take action. Whatever you choose to do
‘We can. I can.’ make a difference to the
fight against cancer.
urgent care tip of the month
SLEEP WELL.
A lack of sleep can have a big effect on our
hearts. Be sure to begin winding down your
body and mind an hour before bed, and keep
electronics outside of the bedroom in order to
get a good night’s rest.
If you need urgent care, call 844-484-6564 or visit
caremountmedical.com/urgentcare FOR LOCATIONS
Healthcare That Revolves Around You.
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