It all starts in the brain’s fear center, the amygdala, which responds to stress by triggering what’s called the fight-or-flight response, releasing hormones that can increase levels of body fat, blood pressure and insulin resistance over time. In addition, as the team explained, the cascade of responses to stress causes inflammation in the arteries, promotes blood clotting and impairs the function of blood vessels, all of which promote atherosclerosis, the arterial disease underlying most heart attacks and strokes.
The team of dr. Tawakol explained that advanced neuroimaging made it possible to directly measure the impact of stress on various body tissues, including the brain. An earlier study of 293 people who were initially free of cardiovascular disease and who underwent full-body scans showing brain activity had a telling result. Five years later, individuals with high amygdala activity were found to have higher levels of inflammation and atherosclerosis.
Translation: Those with increased levels of emotional stress developed biological evidence of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, said Dr. Osborne, “people who aren’t strapped in tight” are less likely to experience the sick heart effects of stress.
The researchers are now investigating the impact of a stress-reducing program called SMART-3RP (it stands for Stress Management and Resiliency Training-Relaxation Response Resiliency Program) on the brain, as well as biological factors that promote atherosclerosis. The program is designed to help people reduce stress and build resilience through mind-body techniques such as mindfulness-based meditation, yoga, and tai chi. Such measures activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the brain and body.
Eliminating stress and its effects
Even without a formal program, said Dr. Osborne that individuals can minimize their bodies’ heart-damaging responses to stress. One of the best ways is through regular exercise, which can help reduce stress and the body-wide inflammation it can cause.
Since poor sleep increases stress and promotes arterial inflammation, developing good sleep habits can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular damage. Maintain a consistent pattern of bedtime and wake-up times and avoid bedtime exposure to screens that emit blue light, such as smartphones and computers, or use blue light filters on such devices.
Practice relaxing measures such as mindfulness meditation, calming techniques that slow breathing, yoga, and tai chi.