Stress can cause heart attacks, strokes and dementia

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Stress can cause heart attacks, strokes and even dementia, according to new research.

Scientists say people with high levels of cortisol in their blood are more prone to cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

The hormone is produced in response to mental strain - triggering changes in metabolism and the immune system.

Those most sensitive were found to be at increased risk of clots in the heart and brain.

They were also more likely to develop "plaques" of amyloid - a rogue protein behind dementia.

The discovery opens the door to a screening program that identifies vulnerable individuals.

"Our findings show, for the first time, how increased glucocorticoid sensitivity may be associated with stress-related disorders, including heart attacks and strokes, which could lead to new therapeutic interventions," said Dr. Nicolas Nicolaides, of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece.

Stress management techniques and medications may reduce deaths and disability from heart attacks, strokes - and even dementia.

Personalized psychological or drug treatments would be prescribed to susceptible patients.

The study presented at a virtual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology meeting adds to evidence anxiety is directly linked to heart disease and Alzheimer's.

"If the most glucocorticoid sensitive people are exposed to excessive or prolonged stress, the resultant increased blood cell activation could predispose them to clot formation in the heart and brain, leading to heart attacks or strokes," Nicolaides said.

"We could potentially identify those at more risk and in need of stress management."

Burnout - a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress - is soaring in the UK and US.

Pressure at work is the most common culprit. Other causes include bereavement, divorce, getting married, moving home, chronic illness or looking after a sick family member.

"People particularly sensitive to stress hormones also exhibit markers that suggest they are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease," Nicolaides said.

The Greek team created a test that differentiated them from more resistant peers - identifying the underlying physical changes for the first time.

It will also help doctors combat side effects of glucocorticoid (GC) drugs - steroids used for inflammatory diseases from allergies to cancers.

"GCs are a group of hormones produced naturally in the body, one of which is the stress hormone cortisol," Nicolaides said.

"They are essential for metabolism and healthy immune function. They act as anti-inflammatories and are routinely used to treat allergies, asthma and other conditions involving an overactive immune system."

But patients respond differently and distinguishing them would improve outcomes.

In the study, 101 healthy volunteers were given a low dose of the GC dexamethasone.

The next morning, they were ranked from most stress-sensitive to resistant, based on blood cortisol readings.

Samples from the top and bottom 10 percent were then scanned for differences.

The sensitive group had 110 upregulated proteins associated with blood clots, amyloid plaque formation and immune function.

It was part of a larger project involving genetic and metabolic analyses to identify differences in tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids.

Larger studies are now planned to confirm the findings and develop a "signature profile" for patient groups.

Cardiovascular disease is the world's number one killer, claiming almost 18 million lives annually.

It causes around a quarter of all deaths in the UK - more than 160,000 each year.

Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia affect more than 920,000 Britons - a figure that will rise to two million by 2050.

With no cure in sight, there is an increasing focus on lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk.