Men may want to consider calming down.
Although it may sound like a trite quip painted on a mug, a new study indicates that when it comes to cardiometabolic risk factors like heart disease — calming down might actually be sound health advice. Really.
Anxiety is associated with stroke, diabetes and elevated blood pressure. Establishing how this link works, however, requires studies performed over a longer length of time — like one recently published by researchers in Boston.
Using data like blood pressure, body mass index, and cholesterol levels submitted by male participants every three to five years since 1975, researchers found that sensitivity to negative emotion was associated with a 13% higher chance of having six or more heart disease risk factors. That sensitivity can also be one of the factors that contributes to developing anxiety disorders.
The study’s findings indicate that anxiety can affect the development of heart disease and similar illnesses via psychosocial pathways — for example, how individuals cope with stress — or via biological pathways, the physiological stress responses that elevate heart rate and trigger the release of stress hormones.
In small doses, a little stress and worrying are a normal part of life. But over time and in heavy repetition, researchers believe the more anxious you are, the more likely you are to experience worsening heart health earlier in life than people of a similar age who manage their anxiety better.
The study comes with some limitations, like its all-male, predominantly white cohort with an elevated socioeconomic status. But the biggest takeaway — stressing less is better — is one that holds true for most.