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Disentangling the Links Between Psychosocial Stress and Cardiovascular Disease

Michael T Osborne1,2, Lisa M Shin3,4, Nehal N Mehta5

  • 1Cardiology Division (M.T.O., A.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Circulation. Cardiovascular Imaging
|August 15, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Chronic stress significantly contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, comparable to major factors like hypertension. Further research is needed to understand stress-CVD mechanisms and develop mitigation strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychoneuroimmunology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Stress is a common human experience with significant health implications.
  • Chronic stress is increasingly recognized as a major contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • Stress exacerbates prevalent CVD risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current understanding of the mechanisms linking stress to cardiovascular disease.
  • To explore emerging strategies for mitigating stress-attributable CVD risk.
  • To highlight the significant, yet understudied, impact of stress on cardiovascular health.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on stress and cardiovascular disease.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data linking stress to CVD prevalence and severity.
  • Synthesis of current concepts on stress-induced cardiovascular pathology.

Main Results:

  • Stress is a potent, independent contributor to cardiovascular disease risk.
  • Stress significantly worsens established CVD risk factors like hypertension and obesity.
  • The direct mechanisms by which stress impacts CVD require further elucidation.

Conclusions:

  • Chronic stress poses a substantial threat to cardiovascular health.
  • Understanding stress-cardiovascular pathways is crucial for effective prevention and treatment.
  • Developing interventions to reduce stress's pathological impact is a critical public health need.

Keywords:
atherosclerosiscardiovascular diseaseshumanshypertensionpsychological distressrisk adjustmentrisk factors

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