US researchers say stress could be as important a risk factor as smoking and high blood pressure when it comes to heart attack.The effect of constant stress on a deep-lying region of the brain explains the increased risk of heart attack. In a study of 300 people, those with higher activity in the amygdala were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease – and sooner than others. Emotional stress has long been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which affects the heart and blood vessels – but the way this happens has not been properly understood. This study, led by a team from Harvard Medical School, points to heightened activity in the area of the brain that processes emotions such as fear and anger – as helping to explain the link. The researchers suggest that the amygdala signals to the bone marrow to produce extra white blood cells, which in turn act on the arteries causing them to become inflamed. This can then cause heart attacks and strokes.
