Heart health program - Make Heart Healthy Choices

Stress and Heart Disease

December 8th, 2011
  • Stress can cause your blood pressure to go up, increase inflammation in your body, make your blood thicker, and cause the coronary arteries to narrow – all of which increases your risk of having a heart attack.
  • Joining an organization, having friends and relationships, or being active in your church or synagogue can reduce your risk of having a heart attack by helping reduce the stress in your life
  • Activities like yoga, tai chi or meditation help reduce stress and help your heart
  • Deep breathing exercises can calm you down and decrease your stress level
  • Try to identify the stresses in your life. Write them down. Talk about them with a friend – you may be surprised how silly they may sound
  • Try to avoid taking medications for stress – many are addictive and do not help the underlying problem
  • Hypnosis, massage therapy and acupuncture help some people deal with stress
  • Cut down the amount of caffeine and sugar that you drink – they can actually increase your level of stress
  • Although one drink of alcohol may help at times, remember that more than one drink can hurt your heart.
  • Try to laugh as many times a day as possible – laughter decreases your stress and anxiety.

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