Chronic Stress A Potential Suspect Zero of Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review
Ling-Bing Meng1,2, Yuan-Meng Zhang3, Yue Luo4
1Department of Cardiology, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Insights
Chronic stress significantly contributes to atherosclerosis (AS), a major cause of death. This review explores how chronic stress impacts AS development through inflammation, lipid metabolism, and other key biological pathways.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Immunology
- Stress Physiology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease and a leading cause of mortality globally.
- AS pathogenesis involves lipid accumulation and immune cell infiltration in arterial intima.
- Recent research highlights chronic stress (CS) as a significant factor in AS development.
Approach:
- This paper reviews the multifaceted influence of chronic stress on atherosclerosis.
- It examines CS effects across various biological and physiological domains relevant to AS.
- Key areas include inflammation, lipid metabolism, endothelial function, hemodynamics, and cellular processes like autophagy and ferroptosis.
Key Points:
- Chronic stress exacerbates AS by promoting inflammation and altering lipid metabolism.
- Endothelial dysfunction, hemodynamic changes, and blood pressure regulation are critically affected by CS.
- CS impacts plaque stability, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cholesterol efflux, all central to AS progression.
Conclusions:
- Chronic stress, particularly in genetically predisposed individuals with environmental triggers, can lead to atherosclerosis.
- Understanding the intricate relationship between CS and AS pathways is crucial for effective prevention and treatment strategies.
- Further research into CS-mediated mechanisms is warranted to combat the rising burden of atherosclerotic diseases.
Abstract:
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic vascular inflammatory disease, in which the lipid accumulation in the intima of the arteries shows yellow atheromatous appearance, which is the pathological basis of many diseases, such as coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and cerebrovascular disease. In recent years, it has become the main cause of death in the global aging society, which seriously endangers human health. As a result, research on AS is increasing. Lesions of atherosclerosis contain macrophages, T cells and other cells of the immune response, together with cholesterol that infiltrates from the blood. Recent studies have shown that chronic stress plays an important role in the occurrence and development of AS. From the etiology of disease, social, environmental and genetic factors jointly determine the occurrence of disease. Atherosclerotic cardio-cerebrovascular disease (ASCVD) is often caused by chronic stress (CS). If it cannot be effectively prevented, there will be biological changes in the body environment successively, and then the morphological changes of the corresponding organs. If the patient has a genetic predisposition and a combination of environmental factors triggers the pathogenesis, then chronic stress can eventually lead to AS. Therefore, this paper discusses the influence of chronic stress on AS in the aspects of inflammation, lipid metabolism, endothelial dysfunction, hemodynamics and blood pressure, plaque stability, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cholesterol efflux.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
01:30Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction
01:30Atherosclerosis I: Introduction
01:30Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
01:19Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
01:26Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures