All kinds of changes or unexpected situations in life, whether it is an unhappy encounter or a well-recognized happy event, can be stressful. Some people see stress as a driving force, while others are unbearable enough to smoke, drink alcohol, or binge-eat. In the past, the medical community always believed that the main cause of stress-induced heart disease was the bad habits caused by stress. However, in recent years, international studies have confirmed that continuous stress can lead to direct sadness, because the location of the brain that controls emotions will be stimulated and highly active, and thus lead to heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.
Medical experts from Harvard University pointed out that stress has been listed as an important risk factor for heart disease, along with smoking and high blood pressure. As early as January 2017, The Lancet, a well-known medical journal, published a research report in the United States on the relationship between the activity of the amygdala in the brain and cardiovascular disease, and the subjects of the survey were required to undergo brain scans. It was found that people who felt stressed also had higher amygdala activity and were more likely to develop a variety of major cardiovascular diseases.
Activated amygdala leads to heart problems
The amygdala is located on the lateral side of the parahippocampal sulcus, and the top connects to the end of the caudate nucleus, which is responsible for emotional production and triggers emergency responses, so that we are physiologically prepared to fight or escape from danger. When the amygdala becomes active, it signals the bone marrow to make extra white blood cells, a condition that causes inflammation in the coronary arteries of the heart, which over time can lead to heart attack, angina and stroke.
Furthermore, when we are under chronic stress, the active amygdala will send disturbing signals to the hypothalamus, which controls body temperature and hormone secretion, causing the body to secrete adrenaline and cortisol, resulting in short-term shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure. , to prepare for a fight-or-flight response. However, when our instinctive reaction occurs frequently and repeatedly, it will cause hypertension due to frequent vasoconstriction, and from then on become a high-risk person for serious cardiovascular disease.
Excessive sadness can directly damage the heart
As for excessive sadness due to sudden stressful events, it can also directly damage the heart and cause “Broken Heart Syndrome” (Stress Cardiomyopathy/Broken-heart Syndrome). The octopus pot used to catch octopus is also called “Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy”. Because the left ventricle cannot contract as normal, its pumping function is impaired, it is difficult to send blood to the body’s organs, and it can lead to heart failure.
The symptoms of “broken heart syndrome” are the same as those of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) in coronary heart disease, including chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, etc. If not sent to the emergency room for treatment in time, Can be life-threatening. To distinguish whether the relevant clinical symptoms are broken heart disease or coronary heart disease, in addition to general cardiac testing and cardiac catheterization, it is necessary to take an ultrasound to check whether the left ventricle is octopus-shaped.
Different from coronary heart disease, after the diagnosis of broken heart disease, there is no need for Tongbo or bypass surgery, just take medicine to treat the bad heart contraction, and generally can gradually recover within a few weeks. Once emotional distress or pain is caused by stressful events, please do not bear it alone. It is recommended to talk to family members and friends first. If necessary, seek professional assistance to manage emotional problems. At the same time, you can receive guidance to learn how to deal with and face it properly. pressure.
Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Chen Zhiyuan