EFFECT OF STRESS ON CVS

PBL 27

In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental or emotional factor

that causes bodily or mental tension and could be external (environmental,
psychological, or social) or internal (illness and medical procedure).

Types of Stress
Acute stress Episodic acute Chronic stress
stress

Definition Frequently
Most common type experience of Most harmful type
acute stress

Causes 1. Negative
caused by aversive
thoughts In pressured
experience in
2. events situation or they
childhood or
that have are unorganized in
traumatic
recently their life
experiences in life
occurred
Affects lifestyle Makes the affected
Brain, body and
constantly prone to
emotion
hazardous stress.
Symptom for Acute Stress
➢ Emotional distress
➢ Muscular distress (tension, headache, back pain, jaw pain, pulled muscles)
➢ Immune system compromise
➢ Cognitive distress (compromised attention / concentration & mental
fatigue)

Episodic Effects of Acute Stress

1. Elevation in blood pressure
2. Cold hand or feet
3. Rapid heartbeat
4. Sweaty palms
5. Chest pain
6. Heart palpitations
7. Shortness of breath (Dyspnea)
8. Dizziness

People with chronic stress have chronic signs and symptoms that can result in
physical and mental breakdown that can lead to;

Suicide Violent actions Homicide

Heart attacks,
Psychosis
strokes
 EFFECT OF STRESS
MIND BODY BEHAVIOUR EMOTIONS
Worrying, muddled Headaches, Accident prone, Loss of
thinking, impaired frequent loss of appetite, confidence,
judgement infections, fatigue, loss of sex drive, fussier,
breathlessness insomnia, irritability,
smoking more. depression.

Affects of stress according tissues

Stress has an effect on CVS tissue
1. Short periods of stressful events induce temporary episodes of endothelial
dysfunction
2. Stress-induced vascular dysfunction includes hypertrophy of the intima and
tunica media of the thoracis aorta.
3. Stress can cause spasm of the coronary blood vessels and electrical
instability in the heart’s conduction system.
4. Acute mental stress causes the release of several hormones
5. Stress-prone individuals are more likely to accumulate LDL (bad cholesterol)

Stress increases sympathetic

Stress causes releasing of
activity which causes
Adrenaline which increase
contraction of heart and
heart rate.
blood vessels
Effect of stress on heart and
blood vessels
Stress releases fatty acids and
Chronic stress increases
glucose into the blood
blood pressure leading to
stream, these can be
damage of the artery wall.
converted into cholesterol.
 Diseases resulting from stress
Coronary heart disease Elevated blood pressure Myocardial infarction
(heart attack)
CHD happens when the Besides atherosclerosis, other This is death of heart
arteries that supply blood to conditions that can lead to muscle due to the
heart muscle become elevated blood pressure or high blockage of a coronary
hardened and narrowed so blood pressure artery so no oxygen
less blood can flow through supply the heart
the arteries.

This can lead to chest pain The build-up of fatty deposits in Heart failure - this means
(angina) or a heart attack. your arteries (atherosclerosis) the heart muscle cannot
can lead to high blood pressure. pump blood around the
Over time, CHD can also body properly. It is not a
weaken the heart muscle and heart attack
contribute to heart failure
and arrhythmias.