Stress: Not a Cause of Heart Disease

Shailaja Neelakantan argues, in her Nature article, that stress is a major cause of heart disease, but this argument is subjective and unsupported. Plainly stated, it is false. The MayoClinic defines heart disease as, “ a broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affect your heart. The various diseases that fall under the umbrella of heart disease include diseases of your blood vessels, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); heart infections; and heart defects you're born with (congenital heart defects).” Statistical evidence by News-Medical shows that major causes of heart disease include: blockages, clotting, and plaque buildup in the arteries that lead to the heart. While researchers have conducted a wide array of medical studies to discover the leading causes of heart disease, they have never conclusively linked psychological factors, such as stress, as one of these major causes. Writers such as Shailaja Neelakantan, present ambiguous information about the idea that psychological factors cause heart disease. Research conducted to date does not support this claim, and the public deserves to know the facts. An about.com article, written by accredited and board certified MD, Richard N. Fogoros, states that, “physical stress does not actually cause heart disease.” Medical studies and research, doctor testimonials, and statistical support all indicate that psychological factors do not cause heart disease. Therefore, organizations such as the APA (American Psychological Association), WHO (World Health Organization), and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) should inform the public about the lack of connection between stress and heart disease.

Heart disease is commonplace within the United States. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) about 600,000 people or 1 in 4 deaths occur due to heart disease in the United States each year. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. The causes of heart disease are unanimously agreed upon amongst the medical world. Based on research presented by Everyday Health the major causes of heart disease are inflammation of arteries that lead to the heart. Many culprits of the inflammation are listed by Everyday Health and include factors such as: the formation of plaque in the arteries; chest pressure or tightness; high levels of glucose, cholesterol, and nicotine in the blood. Within the previous list, none of these major causes points to psychological factors being one of the main origins of heart disease.

AuthorShailaja Neelakantan asserts that stress is a major cause of heart disease, writing that, “…stress, the most common… mechanism of heart disease.” Although she states this as being one of the facts in her articles, she later contradicts herself by saying all her evidence is based on the “subjective nature of psychological influences on physical health.” In other words, her argument is unproven. I will tell you what is proven: stress can, in fact, cause changes within the body, but stress is not always manifested as a negative response within the body. As reported by Health Reviser, “While it is true that the stress level of the person has an impact on his/her health, the effect isn’t always negative. Stress becomes harmful if it isn’t managed properly or if a person is overwhelmed by the amount of stress he/she encounters.” There is a healthy level of stress a person should experience each day. When this stress gets out of hand or becomes too much to handle, then one runs the risk of negative health consequences. According to the APA (American Psychological Association), people that live on the East Coast experience higher levels of stress than those in the Midwest, West and South of the United States. The APA also records that 38% of U.S Easterners have been reported stress levels beyond what is reported as healthy. This being said, the CDC reported that only 3.3% of the entire eastern population had a heart attack. In contrast, the APA reported that only 23% of U.S Southerners report being affected by higher levels of stress, yet the CDC reports that 9.8% of the Southern population had a heart attack. From this data, it can be concluded that there no direct correlation between heart disease and heart disease related heart attacks. George Rodgers, MD, a clinical cardiologist at the Austin Heart Cardiology Group and chairman of the Governors of the American College of Cardiology, reports that, "when we're talking about heart disease, in America really we're talking about atherosclerosis, or the tendency to form plaque in the arteries.” Noting the definition of heart disease in America is very important in understanding the faulty nature of Shailaja Neelakantan ‘s argument. Her definition of heart disease does not align with America’s definition of heart disease. Neelakantan claims that a man experienced a heart attack due to psychological factors that ultimately caused a heart attack. The reason for the heart attack in her example is unclear, but she immediately attributes the cause to psychological factors (also unproven and subjective). Beyond this, she later states that, “stress causes… heart disease.” According to the information provided by MD Rodgers, heart disease is defined as the inflammation of arteries surrounding the heart, or atherosclerosis. Thus, this claim proves to be nonlinear with the views of the American Health World.

As I said above, all stress is not bad stress. Now don’t get me wrong; I believe that stress can, during extended and strenuous periods of time, cause mild to moderate physiological changes within the body. This is supported by concrete evidence provided by Health Reviser, but I do not assert that stress is the major cause of heart disease as argued by Shailaja Neelakantan. Years of research has concluded that, “chronic stress negatively affects your health.” The key word here is chronic. WHO (World Health Organization) defines chronic diseases as “diseases of long duration and generally slow progression.” WebMD states that chronic stress has negative effects on the body because “[chronic stress] exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.” Scientists have not discovered all there is to learn about stress, but as for the facts that are available to date, psychological factors are not a conclusive factor of heart disease. With this said, scientists have linked chronic stress to negative effects within the body, but these “negative effects” are not reported to be heart disease. Shailaja Neelakantan’s article is full of subjective material that misleads its readers. In essence, a person should try to balance emotional and physical health, but stress is a normal part of life. Attaining some level of stress will not lead to heart disease, but it is also unsafe to have high levels of stress that one cannot properly manage. The impact of stress on health is clearly documented and remains fairly constant despite innovations, and technological advances. Even still, scientists, doctors, and health professionals alike are continuing research on the effects of stress on heart disease.
We cannot conclude that one leads to the other. Of course, if you have any further questions about your stress levels and chances of heart disease, you should consult your doctor.

Works Cited


Neelakantan, Shailaja. "Psychology: Mind over Myocardium." Nature 493.7434 (2013): n. pag. 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Feb. 2013

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/HeartDisease/facts.htm.

Lundell, Dr. Dwight. "Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net." SOTT.net. Quantum Future Group Inc, 01 Mar. 2012. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease.

Sholl, Jessie. "What Is Heart Disease?" EverydayHealth.com. Everyday Health Media LLC, 01 Dec. 2008. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. <http://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-disease/understanding/index.aspx>.

Congestive Heart Failure." LifeExtension.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013. http://www.lef.org/protocols/heart_circulatory/congestive_heart_failure_02.htm.