Chronic Stress Linked to Silent Heart Damage and Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Events
A large-scale study involving nearly half a million adults in the UK suggests that chronic stress, often linked to lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, can silently reshape the heart and significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Researchers from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) and Imperial College London found that chronic inflammation, a key consequence of prolonged stress, contributes to harmful structural changes in the heart, such as thicker heart walls, smaller heart chambers, and poorer heart filling. Individuals with the highest levels of inflammation faced a 43% greater risk of heart attack and stroke. These changes can occur years before any symptoms appear, allowing damage to accumulate unnoticed. The study also highlighted strong associations between inflammation and socioeconomic disadvantage, psychological distress, smoking, and excess body fat, indicating that everyday pressures can profoundly impact cardiovascular health.
