Stress Is Hard On The Heart

A study published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" links emotional trauma to subsequent cardiac conditions. Researchers believe the chance of sudden death brought on by caridac arrest increases with stress, and the areas of the brain responsible for regulating heart function can become unbalanced due to stress.

The University College London and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School studied 10 people with heart conditons. As patients underwent moderate stressful tasks, electrical changes on the surface of the skull were measured. Researchers found the brain's cortex produced a stress response that increased a physical stress response. British researchers also found a close relationship between heart performance of the heart and cortex activity. The cortex is responsible for understanding, awareness and perceptions. The cortex also sends and receives signals from the heart.