Healthy Mind

Can stress increase your risk of stroke and heart attack as much as diabetes?

br target@targetwholeness.com   /   Feb 26, 2017

Can stress increase your risk of stroke and heart attack as much as diabetes?

In the medical world, it has long been known that diabetes significantly increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.   A new study done at the Massachusetts General Hospital reviewed brain scans done on almost 300 people. Activation of the amygdala, the part of the brain that is significantly active when stressed, was linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. The higher the level of activation (thought to indicate a higher level of stress),the higher the rate of heart attack or stroke. Those with the highest levels of activation, and likely the highest level of stress, had an almost 14 times higher risk of heart attack and

stroke than those with lower levels of stress.

So, yes, stress can be as damaging to your heart and brain as diabetes can. Another reason to work on stress reduction as part of your TargetWholeness goals. Get more information on stress reduction techniques here.