How does stress cause heart disease? Cardiology Basics

How does stress cause heart disease? Cardiology Basics Stress and heart disease have various aspects. Stress can lead to increase in risk factors for cardiovascular disease as well as precipitate symptoms in a hitherto silent cardiovascular disease. There is also a condition known as stress cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, typically precipitated by an acute stressful event like loss of spouse in an elderly female. Most older persons have build-up of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries. When there is a sudden severe stress, heart rate and blood pressure can shoot up due to sympathetic overactivity. There is also the release of stress hormones like adrenaline into the circulation. The resulting hyperdynamic circulation can lead to increase of shear stress on the atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries. Plaque rupture can occur in thin capped atheromas with more of fat content than fibrous tissue. Platelets adhere to these sites of intimal rupture and initiate the formation of thrombus. Thrombus superimposed on an atherosclerotic plaque can lead to total occlusion of the coronary artery and lead to acute myocardial infarction. Sudden stress can sometimes lead to a surge in the blood levels of certain hormones like adrenaline. These contribute to the surges in blood pressure and heart rate and enhance the hyperdynamic circulatory state. Both sympathetic overactivity and release of stress hormones increase the myocardial contractility, thereby increas...
Source: Cardiophile MD - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: General Cardiology Source Type: blogs