Two Serious Effects of Continued Stress

People who are under constant stress are more likely to have high blood pressure and heart problems, suggests another study.

Researchers followed 400 Americans for over a decade and monitored stress hormone levels in their urine.

They found that the risk of cardiovascular events, including a heart attack or heart disease, increased by 90 percent whenever these levels doubled.

And the possibility of developing hypertension increased by 30 percent.

High blood pressure can damage the heart, the primary organs, and arteries over time, increasing the risk of a number of serious diseases.

When a person is stressed, the body produces hormones such as cortisol, which puts them in war or escape mode.

The answer to primary defense allows your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to grow to increase the oxygen flow in your muscles.

After the stress has passed, these become normal.

But unhealthy stress - related habits, such as unwholesome eating, sleeping very little, and drinking too much alcohol, can cause high blood pressure for a long time.

The results, published in Hypertension magazine, showed that increased levels of stress hormones were linked to a greater risk of hypertension and heart problems.