Author: OfficeAdmin

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain resulting from a negative situation or demanding circumstances. It can have a major influence upon mood, our sense of well-being, behaviour, and health.

Constant stress has been linked to higher activity in an area of the brain linked to processing emotions and may contribute to developing heart and circulatory disease. Research from Harvard University suggests stress could be as important a risk factor as smoking or high blood pressure. So, it is important to consider that the long-term effects of stress can damage your health and is also a risk factor for heart disease.

Your body’s response to stress is supposed to protect you. But, if it’s constant, it may lead to harm. The hormone cortisol is released in response to stress. Studies suggest that the high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. These are common risk factors for heart disease. Stress can also cause changes that promote the build-up of plaque deposits in the arteries.

Factors that are commonly regarded as components of ‘stress’ include:

• depression, anxiety, panic disorder
• social isolation and lack of quality social support
• life events such as bereavement, diagnosis of a chronic illness, or severe life changes
• work-related stress
• anger and hostility.

Ways of managing stress

Stress is a key risk factor for heart disease. Knowing when to adjust your lifestyle and situation is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Understanding stress, stress 

management and relaxation techniques can help considerably in ensuring good mental health, and in adjusting to the pressures and strains of everyday life. Here are some ways to help manage stress and keep your heart healthy.

Exercise every day – walking, running, cycling, swimming, or playing sport for 30+ minutes each day. Yoga is very good for relaxing your mind and staying flexible. Walking your dog, or meeting friends for a walk in the park, joining an exercise class that is suitable to you, either by visiting a gym or finding an exercise class in your local community. There are many options available to get moving every day.

Build a strong support system – meet friends and family regularly or join a community group, perhaps attend church in your local area, tap into a walking group or join a local club or book group. Sewing, exercise and art and craft groups are available in many communities. Your GP may also have some suggestions of ways to connect regularly with your community. 

Seek treatment for constant depression or anxiety – reach out to your GP or call helplines for support if you are feeling depressed or anxious.

Reduce stress from work 

Take some time away from work to reduce the load and take breaks when you can. Tap into the professional services available at your work to discuss issues that may be stressful for you. Holidays are important and provided to employees for a good reason – which is to help in the prevention of work-related stress. Learn to turn off from constantly thinking about work. Taking time to relax every day is important for helping with levels of stress.

Heart disease can be stressful

It’s important to remember that heart disease is stressful. Going to hospital, facing surgery and dealing with the changes in your daily life and family routine – can be traumatic. For some people, the diagnosis of a heart condition or living with ongoing health problems may be a continual strain. Managing stress and knowing when to pull back or ask for help is an important element in coping with heart disease. If you are struggling emotionally with your diagnosis or change in life situation talk to your GP, specialist or call BeyondBlue or Lifeline.

Joining a support group can help you vent your feelings and be a great way to interact with other individuals. Heart Support Australia runs monthly support groups in locations across Australia. To join call us at 0262530097 or email at office@heartnet.org.au 

Sources:

How does stress lead to heart attacks and stroke | BHF

Stress and your Heart

Stress and your heart

This is general information only based on the questions heart patients often ask other patients or family members. It does not replace professional advice from your medical team including your doctor, cardiac specialist, and pharmacist. If ever you feel unwell with symptoms such as chest or arm pain, difficulty breathing, fever, dizziness or bleeding you should seek immediate medical attention.

Everyone has questions … Heart patients, their families and care givers everywhere have the same questions about leaving hospital. Some questions come from the powerful emotions they feel. Other questions are simple – how will I get home, what do I eat. And then there are the questions about getting back to normal life. 

HOW WILL I FEEL?

You might feel tired, confused, sore and emotional 

• TIRED – Patients have their sleep interrupted in hospital because of nurse visits every few hours in the night, meal deliveries and other activities. They are also tired because recovery takes energy, and they might not feel like eating much. 
• CONFUSED – it can take days or even weeks for the surgery anaesthetic and other hospital medications to leave the patient’s system. These medications can make the patient a bit confused and drowsy. 
• SORE – the surgery will have made cuts to the patient’s chest and possibly a leg or arm. Also, their rib cage is moved in their chest so that the doctors can operate, and they will have had cannulas (needles) inserted in their arms or wrists. Like any cuts these will take a few weeks to heal. 
• EMOTIONAL – heart surgery is very emotional for patients and their families and it can take a while for things to even out a bit. Crying is normal.

WILL I BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AND GET AROUND ON THE GROUND

You are NOT allowed by LAW to drive any vehicle until your doctor says so; this might take quite a few weeks. This is because you are tired, confused, sore and emotional. 

• You will need someone to drive you home from the hospital, take you to medical appointments, and to pick up groceries and any equipment you need.
• You should not use mass public transport such as trains and busses because you can damage your chest wound if you are bumped, or the vehicle brakes suddenly. 
• You will be told to travel in the back of a car with a pillow between your chest and the seatbelt .
• You can use taxis or ride shares but remember that you will be weak and confused so make sure you are safe. Also, you cannot carry anything heavier than a kilo or two for a few weeks so will need help with carrying bags and groceries when travelling.

WILL I BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AND GET AROUND IN THE AIR

• You must get clearance from your doctor before flying. Aircraft have reduced oxygen pressure that can make breathing difficult and there is no access to advanced medical care on board 
• Every airline has its own rules – an extract from Qantas’s rules as of February 2021 is below.

Provided by Al Johnson, Centre for Digital Business

1. The most important way to prevent all heart disease is to promote a healthy lifestyle throughout life. 

2. A team-based care approach is an effective strategy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Clinicians should evaluate the social determinants of health that affect individuals to inform treatment decisions. 

3. Adults who are 40 to 75 years of age and are being evaluated for cardiovascular disease prevention should have a risk assessment every ten years to determine if they need to start taking certain medications such as high blood pressure tablets, a statin, or aspirin. In addition, they should undergo coronary artery calcium scanning. 

4. All adults should consume a healthy diet that emphasizes the intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, lean vegetable or animal protein, and fish and minimizes the intake of trans fats, red meat and processed red meats, refined carbohydrates, and sweetened beverages. For adults with overweight and obesity, counselling and caloric restriction are recommended for achieving and maintaining weight loss. 

5. Adults should engage in at least 150 minutes per week of accumulated moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity. 

6. For adults with type 2 diabetes, lifestyle changes, such as improving dietary habits and achieving exercise recommendations, are crucial. If medication is indicated, metformin is first choice. 

7. All adults should be assessed at every healthcare visit for tobacco use, and those who use tobacco should be assisted and strongly advised to quit. 

8. Aspirin should be used infrequently in the routine primary prevention of ASCVD because of lack of net benefit. 

9. Statin therapy is recommended for those with diabetes mellitus, who are 40 to 75 years of age, and those determined to be at sufficient ASCVD risk after a clinician–patient risk discussion. 

10. Nonpharmacological interventions are recommended for all adults with elevated blood pressure or hypertension. For those requiring pharmacological therapy, the target blood pressure should generally be <130/80 mm Hg.

Adapted from 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines