Heart attacks and stress - Essay Example

Medicine Net (2010) has reported that if left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains, or irregular heart beats (Medicine Net, 2010). Stress can increase both the blood pressure and the cholesterol level in our body which can lead to heart attacks. This paper focussing mainly on stress related heart attacks. In simple terms Heart attack is the blocking of blood flow to the heart due to some problems.

Barrier less flow of blood to and fro heart is essential for the smooth functioning of heart. Heart pumps blood to all over our body through veins and whenever this pumping disrupted, heart functions may cease. “If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die” (What Is a Heart Attack?, 2008) Heart attacks are common both in men and women. Different reasons were cited as the cause of heart attacks, But generally it is accepted that lack of physical workouts and changing life styles are the major reasons behind heart attacks.

The current generation is tied with so many commitments to their family, society and to the workplace. It is difficult for a layman to manage all this commitments equally well. The failure in the management of commitments may result in increased level of stresses and stress causes many physical and mental problems and heart attacks are one among them. Friedman and Rosenman were the first to explain why specific behaviours (overt pattern behaviour A" or Type A) could cause heart attacks and contribute to coronary artery disease.

Stress can cause accelerated atherosclerosis and coronary occlusion that is associated with elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids, increased fibrinogen, haptoglobin, plasma seromucoids, platelet aggregation and adhesiveness, polycythemia, and accelerated blood clotting (Stress And Heart