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Emotional stress and cardiovascular health: Impacts on neurodegenerative disease progression

Mostafa K Abd El-Aziz1, Al-Hassan Soliman Wadan2, Abdelrahman T I Albahttiti3

  • 1Faculty of Pharmacy, King Salman International University, Ras-Sudr, South Sinai, Egypt; Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics Research Group (CPPRG), Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo (GUC), Egypt.

Progress in Brain Research
|July 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Emotional stress significantly impacts cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Understanding these links is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate stress-related health effects.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cardiology
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Stress is a pervasive aspect of life with significant health implications.
  • Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are particularly vulnerable to stress impacts.
  • Chronic stress is a known contributor to CVD and NDD progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the intricate connections between emotional stress, cardiovascular health, and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
  • To explore the shared genetic, molecular, and systemic associations between CVD and NDD.
  • To identify pathways for designing interventions to mitigate stress-related health consequences.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on stress, HPA axis, and SNS.
  • Analysis of mechanisms linking chronic stress to cardiovascular dysfunction.
  • Examination of inflammatory and vascular pathways implicated in NDD.
  • Investigation of the crosstalk and shared associations between CVD and NDD.

Main Results:

  • Chronic stress adversely affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
  • Stress exacerbates cardiovascular diseases through hormonal and neural pathways.
  • Inflammation and vascular dysfunction, driven by stress, contribute to neurodegenerative disease progression (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS).
  • Significant genetic, molecular, and systemic links exist between CVD and NDD.

Conclusions:

  • Emotional stress is a critical factor in the development and progression of both cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Understanding the shared mechanisms between CVD and NDD is vital for comprehensive patient care.
  • Targeting stress pathways offers potential for novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Keywords:
Cardiovascular diseasesEmotional stressNeurogenerative diseases

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