Can psychological stress trigger a stroke or heart attack?
The steady drip of psychological stress over time does appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. Stress may adversely affect lipid levels. Blood pressure can go up. Inflammation inside blood vessels may increase. And platelets, which are instrumental for forming blood clots, may get stickier. Sticky platelets inside inflamed arteries are a problem, because clots can form that block the blood supply to the heart or brain. Some of us are old enough to remember that doctors used to advise patients after a heart attack to rest completely. They warned family members to tiptoe around the convalescent to avoid upsetting him or her. “Don’t make your father angry,” mothers might have said to their children in the 1950s. But that was counterproductive, because the long-term effects of stress are more dangerous than a sudden fright or a temper flair. And the best way to fight chronic stress is to stay engaged in your life. Stress probably makes it h
