Can stress affect your heart.
In the short term, stress can be beneficial; however, prolonged stress can lead to inflammation and coping mechanisms that can be harmful to your heart health. People with chronic stress, such as stress related to social isolation, work, finances, and/or racism, may face a higher risk of heart disease and risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol problems. This article explains the connection between stress and heart disease, as well as prevention methods to keep your heart as healthy as possible.
Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images
Stress affects your body in many ways and can certainly impact heart health. Both acute and chronic stress lead to changes in the heart and blood vessels.
Chronic stress can increase your risk of developing heart disease by affecting your blood pressure, increasing plaque buildup in your blood vessels, and leading to an increased overall state of inflammation. There are many techniques for dealing with stress. Make sure to speak with your healthcare provider regarding the best strategies to help manage your stress.
In general, acute or sudden and short-lived stress isn't necessarily a problem for the heart. The human body has evolved the stress response, or fight-or-flight response, as a useful way to counteract danger. During a sudden stressful moment, the body releases adrenaline (epinephrine) which causes various effects on the cardiovascular system that can help escape or avoid danger. These include:
Chronic stress is stress that goes on for the long term. It affects the heart in several ways, leading to high cortisol levels and inflammation. This can lead to the following changes in the heart and blood vessels:
The stress-related changes in the heart and blood vessels in both acute and chronic stress can lead to heart disease.
Most of the time, the body can handle acute stress just fine and revert to its normal prestress state. However, in a condition known as stress cardiomyopathy (also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and broken heart syndrome), the sudden stress results in the weakening of the heart muscle. This can cause heart failure, dangerous heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias), and even death. People with stress cardiomyopathy may experience the following symptoms:
Increased cortisol levels and dysregulation of the immune system that are directly related to stress can contribute to inflammation, atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), and other risk factors of heart disease. In addition, unhealthy coping strategies for chronic stress (a sedentary lifestyle, certain eating patterns, and smoking cigarettes) can further increase this risk. Chronic stress and other mental health conditions are associated with the following heart and vascular conditions:
In addition to the impact of stress on the heart, stress can also cause conditions that are also risk factors for heart disease. Stress and its impact on behavior can cause risk factors for heart disease, including:
It's important to recognize potential heart problems and risk factors and have an evaluation with your healthcare provider to diagnose and treat them. Possible signs that stress and other risk factors may be causing heart problems include the following:
If you feel that chronic stress is impacting your daily life, it's a sign that stress could be affecting other parts of the body, such as the heart. A healthcare provider can screen for other risk factors and help manage stress and related mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Signs of chronic stress include:
Managing stress can improve your quality of life and may help counteract the negative effects of stress on your body, including your heart. Some stress management techniques also have direct benefits for your heart.
Physical activity has numerous benefits for the body and mind. Exercise can release endorphins , the feel-good chemicals that can improve mood and manage stress. In addition, regular physical activity is one of the major lifestyle factors to improve and maintain heart health. The American Heart Association recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
Aim for getting some exercise daily by doing activities you enjoy, such as:
Relaxation techniques are meant to counteract the stress response and activate the part of the nervous system that promotes rest. They can be particularly effective during times of acute stress or anxiety. Though there is little direct evidence of their benefit for heart health, some studies show the benefits of relaxation techniques in lowering blood pressure.
Some examples of relaxation techniques include:
Poor sleep is associated with both chronic stress and risk of heart disease as well as other long-term health conditions. Getting enough high-quality sleep is important to manage stress and protect heart health. The American Heart Association recognizes sleep as one of the pillars of lifestyle management for a healthy heart and states that most adults should aim for seven to nine hours of high-quality rest each night.
Another important way to counteract stress is to connect with others. Some people may cope with stress through isolation; however, social isolation and loneliness are linked to increased stress and worse cardiovascular health.
Social connection can be a good way to counteract stress, and it also lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. A support network can provide support during hard times, help cope with stress, and promote overall well-being. Some ways to connect with others include:
If you are having symptoms of chronic stress, you can schedule a visit with a healthcare provider who can provide tips and referrals for managing stress, such as counseling.
If you have any concerning heart attack symptoms, seek medical attention immediately by calling 9-1-1 to be transported to the nearest hospital. Heart attack symptoms include:
Our bodies evolved the stress response as a protective mechanism, and both acute and chronic stress can affect the heart in various ways. Usually, acute stress doesn't cause heart problems, but some people can develop stress-related cardiomyopathy. Chronic stress can lead to inflammation, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and atherosclerosis. Our coping mechanisms for stress, like sedentary behavior, dietary patterns, and smoking, can increase heart disease risk.
To counteract the effects of stress and keep a healthy heart, aim for regular physical activity, healthy sleep, and connection with others.
Osborne MT, Shin LM, Mehta NN, et al. Disentangling the links between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease . Circ Cardiovasc Imaging . 2020;13(8):e010931. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About heart disease and mental health .
American Psychological Association. Stress effects on the body .
Singh T, Khan H, Gamble DT, et al. Takotsubo syndrome: pathophysiology, emerging concepts, and clinical implications . Circulation . 2022;145(13):1002-1019. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.055854
American Heart Association. Stress and heart health .
American Heart Association. Warning signs of a heart attack .
American Heart Association. Symptoms of heart failure .
MedlinePlus. Stress and your health .
Smith PJ, Merwin RM. The role of exercise in management of mental health disorders: an integrative review . Annu Rev Med. 2020;72:45-62. doi:10.1146/annurev-med-060619-022943
American Heart Association. Life's Essential 8 .
American Heart Association. Exercise within reach .
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Relaxation techniques: what you need to know .
Cené CW, Beckie TM, Sims M, et al. Effects of objective and perceived social isolation on cardiovascular and brain health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association . J Am Heart Assoc . 2022;11(16):e026493. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.026493
American Psychological Association. The risks of social isolation .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Social connection .
By Angela Ryan Lee, MD Dr. Lee is an Ohio-based board-certified physician specializing in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine.
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán
Jasmine Garsd
Vice President Kamala Harris, center, along with Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, and Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, tour a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in El Paso, Texas, U.S., in June 2021. Bloomberg/via Getty Images hide caption
As Vice President Kamala Harris works to secure the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party next month, her role on immigration policy is now in the spotlight.
Minutes after the President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and was endorsing Harris, Republicans started attacking her record on immigration and border policy.
“Joe Biden has now endorsed and fully supports his ‘Borders Czar’ Kamala Harris to be the Democrat candidate for president,” Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, posted on X . “I think I will need to triple the border wall, razor wire barriers and National Guard on the border.”
Conservatives have often referred to Harris as the Biden administration’s "Border Czar," incorrectly claiming she was tasked with repairing the border.
“Kamala had one job,” said Nikki Haley earlier this month at the Republican National Convention. “One job. And that was to fix the border. Now imagine her in charge of the entire country.”
In reality, that was not Harris’ job.
She was tasked by Biden in 2021 to examine the root causes of migration from Central America, including poverty, violence, and corruption. At that time, unauthorized migration came primarily from Mexico and Central America.
She was never tapped to head immigration policy, which is the responsibility of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees all agencies in charge of the enforcement of immigration laws.
Three years later, this role could be Harris’ Achilles' heel. Her role in pushing for Biden’s immigration proposals have disenchanted Democrats and immigrant rights groups.
“I do think there is an opportunity here for Vice President Harris to have a more hopeful message around immigration than even the Biden administration has had in the past,” said Adriel Orozco, a senior policy counsel with the American Immigration Council.
Biden’s policy proposals have included severely restricting most asylum claims at the border and expediting the removal of unauthorized migrants, something immigrant rights groups have opposed.
Suyapa Portillo, a professor of Chicano/a-Latino/a Transnational Studies at Pitzer College, says Harris should try to separate herself from the Biden administration’s “slow move towards immigration reform,” and from the message of deterrence that “represents that conservatism from the Biden administration and the Democratic Party — the old guard.”
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Monday during an event with NCAA college athletes. This was her first public appearance since President Joe Biden endorsed her to be the next presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption
If Harris secures the presidential nomination, she will be facing a very different immigration landscape than back in 2021, when she was tasked with addressing its root causes.
Last year, unauthorized crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border hit an all-time high. In December 2023, the number of encounters reached nearly 250,000, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
For the last four months, the number of migrants trying to cross illegally has dramatically dropped. That’s due in part due to Mexico’s enforcement, and Biden’s policies, which include severely restricting most asylum claims at the border .
But migration has diversified in the last few years. There is an unprecedented crisis of global displacement. When Harris was elected in 2020, 90% of immigration hailed from Mexico and Central America, according to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute .
In 2023, only 49 percent of the encounters were with migrants from those four countries.
Today, immigrants arriving at the US Mexico border are fleeing from the crisis in Venezuela, the war in Ukraine and cartel violence in Ecuador, just to name a few.
Harris’ record on immigration has been marred by policy blunders.
Her first international trip as vice president made clear her approach on immigration: addressing root causes to stop illegal migration.
In the summer of 2021, she traveled to Guatemala to meet with then-President Alejandro Giammattei. In a speech, she said that the Biden administration was committed to helping Guatemalans find “hope at home.”
But she also warned prospective migrants.
“I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border,” Harris said. “Do not come. Do not come.”
Those three words: Do not come, were seen by many as a blunder . Latino advocates criticized the statement as paternalistic and tone-deaf, given the violent crises rattling the region.
For many immigrant advocates, that statement continues to haunt Harris’ candidacy.
“She needs to separate from Biden,” Portillo says. “She needs to speak to TPS holders and DACA holders for a plan for legalization, and a border plan that does not include throwing children in jail.”
But Harris has maintained that deterrence is essential: last year she announced $950 million in pledges from private companies to support Central American communities.
Judith Browne Dianis, the executive director of the D.C.-based civil rights organization Advancement Project, says Harris will now have to explain how she would tackle immigration if she were elected president.
“Is it a humanitarian response, or is there a criminalization response?” Dianis says. “We don’t need more criminalization. We don’t need a border wall. We need to get to the root causes. We need to make sure that people are taken care of.”
In early June 2021, Harris came under fire for not visiting the border. In an interview with NBC News , she was asked about Republican critiques.
“And I haven’t been to Europe,” Harris fired back. “I mean, I don’t understand the point that you are making.”
Her response was criticized by conservatives as disconnected and flippant towards border communities and agencies which have felt overwhelmed by the influx of migrants in recent years.
Harris’ first trip to the border came later that month, to El Paso, Texas. At a press conference there, she stated that migration “cannot be reduced to a political issue. We’re talking about children, we’re talking about families, we are talking about suffering.”
Earlier this year, Harris backed a Biden-endorsed bipartisan bill on border enforcement.
The measure would have added immigration detention beds, increased the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and asylum officers, and funded technology to detect fentanyl smuggling at the Southern border. It passed in the Senate but failed to move forward after former President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to kill it.
But for many immigration advocates, Harris is their candidate.
Kerri Talbot, the executive director of the national advocacy organization Immigration Hub, called Harris a “strong defender and champion of American families, including their immigrant family members” in a statement Sunday.
“We have no doubt that she can step up to the challenge, counter Trump and JD Vance’s rhetoric and dark vision for democracy, and protect the progress we’ve made while delivering transformative change for our immigration system,” Talbot said.
But Harris involvement with immigration goes way beyond her vice presidency, and her actions show a shift in policies.
When she was the district attorney in San Francisco, she backed a city policy that turned over to federal immigration authorities migrant juveniles suspected of committing a felony. In 2019, Harris’ campaign told CNN “this policy could have been applied more fairly.”
But as California’s attorney general, she had a different stance. In a 2015 interview with CBS Los Angeles, Harris said, “Unfortunately, I know what crime looks like. I know what a criminal looks like who's committing a crime. An undocumented immigrant is not a criminal.”
Harris became U.S. senator from California in 2017.
She was part of a Senate hearing on the Trump administration’s highly controversial separation policy, in which undocumented migrant children were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, as a form of immigration deterrence. She questioned Trump officials, and said separating families can cause “irreparable harm.”
In 2019, she and several other Democratic senators reintroduced the Reunite Every Unaccompanied Newborn Infant, Toddler and Other Children Expeditiously (REUNITE) Act , “to expedite the reunification of separated immigrant families and promote humane alternatives for asylum-seeking immigrant families.”
When she ran for president in 2019, Harris unveiled an immigration plan that called for a path to citizenship for recipients of Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, best known as DACA.
That’s similar to what the Biden-Harris campaign promised when they run in 2020. However, none of that has happened during the administration.
COMMENTS
able to reason clearly. self-possessed. well-balanced. right in the head. right-minded. in one's right mind. having all marbles. both oars in water. in possession of all your faculties.
Synonyms for WELL: fine, okay, good, nicely, alright, correctly, OK, decently; Antonyms of WELL: poorly, badly, ill, inadequately, insufficiently, bad ...
Find 149 different ways to say AS WELL AS, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Synonyms for well-written include readable, engaging, fascinating, gripping, interesting, entertaining, exciting, stimulating, appealing and absorbing. Find more ...
Another way to say Well? Synonyms for Well (other words and phrases for Well). Synonyms for Well. 3 099 other terms for well- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. idioms. Parts of speech. adverbs. adjectives.
4. That is to say. Usage: "That is" and "that is to say" can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: "Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.". 5. To that end. Usage: Use "to that end" or "to this end" in a similar way to "in order to" or "so".
Another way to say Well-written? Synonyms for Well-written (other words and phrases for Well-written). Synonyms for Well-written. 95 other terms for well-written- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. Parts of speech.
Synonyms of 'well' in British English. well. 1 (adverb) in the sense of skilfully. Definition. skilfully. All the team members played well. Synonyms. skilfully . expertly . adeptly . ... or tips on writing the perfect college essay, Harper Reference has you covered for all your study needs. February 13, 2020 Read more
What is a synonym for well? Some synonyms and near synonyms of well ( adverb) include: Ably. Acceptably. Admirably. Competently. Deftly. Effectively. Efficiently.
Synonyms for ESSAY: article, paper, dissertation, theme, thesis, composition, treatise, editorial; Antonyms of ESSAY: quit, drop, give up
WELL - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus
Synonyms for AS WELL AS: along with, together with, beside, besides, at that, over and above, beyond, plus; Antonyms of AS WELL AS: except, excepting, less, wanting ...
Here are 10 other ways to say "for example" in an essay: 1. For instance. The phrase "for instance" is a casual yet clear way to introduce an example that supports your point. It's like saying, "Here's a clear example that illustrates what I'm talking about.".
The sentence, as is, does not indicate any real relationship between the 2 options other that both exist. A conjunction that showed a preference or a conditional relationship might add to the meaning and resolve your wording issue.
This article will explore some of the best alternatives available. The preferred synonyms are "and so is/will," "like," and "similar to.". These allow you to make a link between two (or more) different situations or clauses. This connection is usually helped with "as well as," but these three options allow you to use slightly ...
in the second place. to continue. apart from that. in addition to what has been said. be that as it may. on top of everything. aside from that. other than that. added to that.
Synonyms for Well Structured (other words and phrases for Well Structured). Synonyms for Well structured. 300 other terms for well structured- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. idioms. Parts of speech. adjectives. suggest new. properly structured. well organized.
WELL-ESTABLISHED - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus
In writing and speech, the word furthermore is used as a conjunctive adverb. It ties together two sentences that have a connection by advancing the argument. As a transition word furthermore is defined as "an addition to what precedes.". When used correctly, furthermore helps make your writing easier to understand. But, like with any word, overusing furthermore will distract your reader and ...
Find 81 different ways to say WELL-DONE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Essay Example: Experience is at the heart of what makes us tick, influencing how we see the world, make choices, and shape who we are. ... By using these terms well, we can better capture the richness of human experience and deepen our understanding of ourselves and others. ... Synonyms and Nuances: Different Words for Experience. (2024, Jul 21 ...
Before John Fogerty's life became mine, there was cold. In November 2012, I was 22 and had left the family farm in Manitoba to find work in the oil fields of Alberta.
Essay An assault in Central Park helped me see that the age-old hatred of antisemitism is alive and well, even in places we assumed were safe. Allan Ripp on the Bridle Path in Central Park, the ...
Synonyms for WELL-DONE: meticulous, flawless, perfect, polished, finished, faultless, skillful, neat; Antonyms of WELL-DONE: crude, rough, clumsy, artless, rude ...
Pete Wells is moving on from his role as the Times restaurant critic, a job with many rewards and maybe too many courses. By Pete Wells Early this year, I went for my first physical in longer than ...
"Well, no. The reason for the poor focus is not the same thing as A.D.H.D., but the end result is the same." And to make things even more complex, it's common for those with A.D.H.D. to have ...
Synonyms for well-established include entrenched, fixed, ingrained, firm, unshakable, deep-rooted, common, accepted, conventional and mainstream. Find more similar ...
As of about 4 p.m. Eastern, more than 830 Delta flights had been canceled, and more than 1,220 had been delayed. American was reporting more than 360 flights canceled and more than 1,040 delayed.
Acute Stress . Most of the time, the body can handle acute stress just fine and revert to its normal prestress state. However, in a condition known as stress cardiomyopathy (also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and broken heart syndrome), the sudden stress results in the weakening of the heart muscle. This can cause heart failure, dangerous heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias), and even ...
A changed immigration landscape. If Harris secures the presidential nomination, she will be facing a very different immigration landscape than back in 2021, when she was tasked with addressing its ...