Cardiologist warns about the dangers of chronic stress for the heart

MOSCOW, September 10 - RIA Novosti. Chronic stress can pose a danger to the heart, since the body does not have time to return to a normal state after constant stress, said cardiologist at Meditsina JSC (academician Roitberg’s clinic), candidate of medical sciences Evgeniy Kokin.

“Stress itself is not the body’s enemy. It is a normal physiological reaction that helps to quickly mobilize strength in a situation of danger or high stress. The problem arises when the stress system is turned on too often and practically does not have time to return to its original state. In this case, we are talking about chronic stress, which can really increase cardiovascular risks,” Kokin told Izvestia.

According to him, under stress, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, and the body releases adrenaline and norepinephrine. As a result, the heart begins to contract faster and stronger, blood pressure and myocardial oxygen demand increase, the doctor noted.

Kokin added that in the short term, such changes are physiological and help the body cope with stress, but with constant stress, the changes can become chronic risk factors.