The effects of stress on physical disorders, heart disease, stroke, and mental health, among others, are well recognized, as are practical tips to combat stress and mitigate these effects, which we can readily access through professional organizations, the CDC, and numerous public resources. However, as individuals, we need to embrace these strategies that enable us to improve how we respond and adapt to stress, which is much easier to rationalize than operationalize. Many health professionals find that this humbling self-awareness promotes greater understanding of and empathy for our patients as we advise them regarding the importance of this endeavor.

One of the recommendations that can be challenging in advising patients with active cancer is that of incorporating regular exercise into their daily lives. The impact of regular physical activity in reducing one’s cancer risk has been established. What may be less effectively conveyed are data supporting how a physically active lifestyle is associated with improved outcomes for cancer survivors, as is ongoing active therapy in the case of certain cancers. Notably, patients will be more successful and supported in these efforts through structured exercise interventions and support programs. Without this additional support, it may be difficult for patients experiencing fatigue and other symptoms associated with active cancer treatments to initiate a new physical activity program or maintain a regular one.

Our perceptions of the types and levels of physical exercise that confer potential beneficial outcomes can be expanded upon. For example, investigators who assessed vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) in self-reported non-exercising adults reported an association with a reduced incidence of PA-related cancer. In this prospective study of 22,398 participants followed up for a mean of 6.7 years, published in July 2023 in JAMA Oncology, a minimum of about 3.5 minutes of VILPA daily reduced total incident cancer risk by 17% to 18% compared with no VILPA. Interestingly, greater than 90% of VILPA was accrued in sessions of up to 1 minute in duration. Participant activity was measured using wrist accelerometry recorders— feasible but beyond what could be captured using exercise diaries or common smartwatches. Confounding factors, such as sex, age, body mass index, lifestyle factors (eg, smoking, alcohol use, etc) and established cardiovascular risk factors were accounted for in the analyses. Thus, duration of daily VILPA was inversely associated with a reduced risk in incident and PA-related cancer risk, requiring only 4 to 5 minutes of VILPA daily to reduce cancer risk.¹

With these data, a strategy of implementing VILPA may help to improve outcomes for cancer survivors and/or patients undergoing active anticancer therapy. What remains unclear is whether daily periods of VILPA will also help improve outcomes beyond cancer risk, such as stress and stress-related complications. For patients and health care professionals, implementing VILPA could be a much-needed answer to ongoing daily stress. To this end, health care professionals may similarly benefit from structured exercise interventions and support programs, as it can be difficult to overcome the daily inertia of a busy work schedule, which paradoxically may feel both incredibly active and sedentary. Again, humbling self-awareness may be a valuable tool while progressing toward the goal of a less stressful, quotidian life.

Reference

Stamatakis E, Ahmadi MN, Friedenreich CM, et al. Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity and cancer incidence among nonexercising adults: the UK Biobank Accelerometry Study. JAMA Oncol. 2023;9(9):1255-1259. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1830

By Lisa E. Davis, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, BCOP

About the Author

Original post 

Photo by Anna Shvets

The Anatomy of Anxiety

When wrestling with anxiety, the body responds in a manner reminiscent of an ancient warrior preparing for battle. This ‘fight or flight’ response triggers the release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which elevate heart rate and constrict blood vessels. Consequently, blood pressure surges.

While these transient spikes may not pose an immediate threat, concerns arise when anxiety becomes a chronic companion. Persistent anxiety could potentially cultivate an environment conducive to high blood pressure, owing to unhealthy lifestyle choices and extended periods of heightened blood pressure.

A Nation Gripped by Stress

According to The American Institute of Stress, over half of the US population grapples with daily stress, painting a worrisome picture of the nation’s collective mental health. Work-related stress emerges as a significant contributor, with 94% of employees reporting experiencing it.

Stress: A Silent Saboteur

Chronic stress, characterized by prolonged exposure to stress hormones, can silently sabotage various organ systems. It has been linked to mood swings, sexual dysfunction, stomach ulcers, and respiratory infections. Moreover, it poses a risk to the cardiovascular system, potentially leading to heart disease.

However, all hope is not lost. By managing anxiety through exercise, meditation, and counseling, individuals can reclaim control over their health and potentially prevent the onset of high blood pressure.

As we navigate the labyrinth of modern life, understanding the profound interplay between our emotional and physical well-being becomes increasingly crucial. Addressing anxiety is no longer just a matter of mental health; it’s a vital step towards safeguarding our hearts.

In this quest for balance, each deep breath taken during meditation, each mile run, and each therapy session attended are not mere acts of self-care. They are powerful strides towards a healthier heart and a more serene mind.

In the face of the stress epidemic, taking charge of our mental health is not a luxury, but a necessity. It’s time to recognize anxiety’s impact on our cardiovascular system and address it head-on, ensuring that our hearts beat not just faster, but stronger and healthier.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

By Emmanuel Abara Benson

Original post bnn

Stress, defined as emotional tension or mental strain, is all too common of a feeling for many of us.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the average stress level of adults in the United States in 2015 was 5.1 on a scale of 1 to 10.

SIGNS OF STRESS

Too much stress can produce both physical and emotional symptoms.

Let’s look at some of the emotional signs of stress and what you can do to reduce and manage them.W

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) defines diagnosed depression as an illness in which an individual experiences a persistent and severe low mood.

Researchers have found connectionsTrusted Source between high levels of stress and the onset of depression.

A 2020 animal studyTrusted Source also suggested these connections, in addition to a protein in the brain that is important for the functions of both serotonin and for the release of stress hormones. This could have important implications for new treatments for depression.

Another 2015 observational studyTrusted Source examined stress levels of the working age population, measuring participants’ overall stress levels and symptoms. Depression was more common in people who reported higher levels of stress.

Treatment

• Reach out to a mental health professional.
• Both psychotherapy and medication can be effective treatments.
• Support groups, mindfulness techniques, and exercise may also help.

2. Anxiety

Anxiety differs from depression in that it’s characterized by feelings of overwhelming dread or fear.

However, like depression, studies have suggested that stress may be linked to anxiety and anxiety disorders.

In one 2015 studyTrusted Source, researchers investigated the effects of stress levels at home and work on anxiety and depression levels. They found that people who experienced high levels of work stress were more likely to have more symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Treatment

• Reach out to a mental health professional.
• Treatment options include psychotherapy and medication.
• Alternative and complementary treatments are also available.

3. Irritability

Irritability and anger can become common traits in people who are stressed.

In one older 2014 studyTrusted Source, higher levels of anger were associated with both mental stress and the possibility of a stress-related heart attack.

Another studyTrusted Source investigated the relationship between anger, depression, and stress levels in caretakers. The researchers found an association between care-related chronic stress and anger levels.

Treatment

• A variety of strategies can help keep anger levels under control. Relaxation techniques, problem solving, and communication are all great methods for helping to curb anger.
• Anger management techniques can help to reduce the stress in situations that’d normally leave you frustrated, tense, or angry.

4. Low sex drive

In some people, too much stress can have a negative impact on sex drive and the desire to be intimate.

A studyTrusted Source published in 2014 found that chronic stress levels had a negative impact on sexual arousal. The research suggested that both high levels of cortisol and a higher chance of being distracted led to lower levels of arousal.

Much of the research surrounding stress and low libido involves women, but it can certainly affect others, too. One animal studyTrusted Source showed that social stress during adolescence affected the sexual appetite of male hamsters during adulthood.

Treatment

• Reducing stress can help to restore your sex drive and improve libido.
• Self-care, relaxation techniques, and exercise are a few ways to raise self-confidence.
• Improving communication with a sexual partner may improve intimacy and restore positive feelings towards sex.

5. Memory and concentration problems

If you find yourself having trouble with concentration and memory, stress may be a part of the problem.

A 2015 animal studyTrusted Source found that adolescent rats exposed to acute stress experienced more memory performance issues than their non-stressed counterparts.

Another 2014 review Trusted Source investigated the stress-response pathways in the brain and their effect on long-term memory. Researchers found that certain hormones following a stressful or traumatic event can have the ability to impair memory.

Treatment

• Various lifestyle changesTrusted Source may help improve memory.
• Maintaining a balanced diet and keeping your body and mind active can keep you focused.
• Avoiding activities like drinking and smoking can help keep your brain healthy.

6. Compulsive behavior

There has long been a link between stress and compulsive behaviors.

One paperTrusted Source expanded on the idea that stress-related changes in the brain may play a role in the development of addiction. According to the researchers, chronic stress can change the physical nature of the brain to promote habit- and addiction-forming behaviors.

Another 2018 studyTrusted Source found more associations between stress response and addictive disorders as well as other health consequences.

Treatment

• Healthy lifestyle habits can help to reduce compulsive behavior. For more serious compulsive behaviors, professional help may be necessary.
• If you’re concerned about substance use, the National Institute on Drug AbuseTrusted Source has resources for starting on the road to recovery. These include lifestyle recommendations to help manage stress.

7. Changes in mood

The many emotional effects of stress can leave you feeling like you’re experiencing abrupt changes in mood.

One studyTrusted Source from 2014 examined the role of various types of stress tests on physiology, mood, and cognition. The research showed that both social and physical stressors can have a big impact on emotional well-being and mood.

With the many emotional signs of stress, it’s easy to see the influence stress can have on your overall mood.

Treatment

There are many ways to improve your mood, such as:

• reducing stress
• enjoying nature
• celebrating with friends
• using mindfulness techniques

For more serious changes in mood that don’t seem to go away, reach out to a mental health professional for help.

Read Also: Depression and Stress Management

Ways to manage and reduce your stress

Reducing the emotional symptoms of stress starts with reducing the sources of stress in your life.

The American Institute of Stress explains that while there are a variety of stress-reducing techniques, finding ones that work for you is important.

• Physical activities such as running, jogging, and aerobics are a great way to physically relieve stress and tension.
• Relaxing physical activities such as yoga or tai chi can help to work your body while relaxing your mind. Try these yoga poses to relieve stress.
• Mindfulness techniques such as meditation can strengthen your emotional responses to stress.
• Reducing stress in different areas of your life, when possible, can help to lessen your exposure to chronic stressors.
• Mobile apps may calm your mind and offer guided conversations to help you manage stress and anxiety.

What’s the outlook?

Finding the stress-reducing techniques that work for you is an important step in decreasing emotional symptoms of stress.

Over time, you may find that your resolve against stress becomes stronger and that your symptoms improve.

However, if you find that you’re having trouble managing the emotional aspects of everyday or chronic stress, it may be best to reach out to a mental health professional.

Keep in mind that stress can also affect your physical health. It’s important to get help to stay in your best shape, emotionally and physically.

Depression at Night: How to Cope with Nighttime Depression

Symptoms of depression at night

Experiencing depression at night may have a number of different symptoms for different people. Some people may experience an increase in the severity of their depression symptoms. Others may experience increased feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and emptiness at night.

Racing thoughts and agitation may also occur, which can lead to difficulty sleeping. For more information on symptoms of depression, check out a thorough list here.

What causes depression at night?

There are a number of causes that can contribute to increased depression at night.

One commonly suggested reason for the increase is the lack of distractions. During the day, it’s a little easier for some people — especially those with mild or moderate depression — to keep themselves busy. Work, school, or social activities act as a distraction during the day. But at night, when you settle down to sleep, there’s nothing but you and your thoughts.

Researchers have looked into other things that could be increasing our nighttime depression symptoms. According to 2013 research on animals, bright lights (especially blue and white) at night can not only keep us awake, but may also increase symptoms of depression. In the study, even having a TV on in a dark room increased the animal’s cortisol levels and created changes in their hippocampus, both of which can increase depressive symptoms.

It’s also thought that if your circadian rhythm is disrupted, your depression may be triggered or your symptoms could increase in severity. One 2009 studyTrusted Source found that increased artificial light can significantly disrupt our circadian rhythm, causing or increasing mood disorders like depression.

Tips for coping

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can cope with depression that occurs or increases in severity at night. For depression symptoms, regardless of the time of day they show up, you should maintain the treatment plan prescribed by your doctor. This includes taking your medications, even when you feel fine.

If your symptoms of depression are new for you or you’re currently not being treated, you should make an appointment to see a doctor. They can give you a diagnosis and help you to find treatment that works for you.

To manage your nighttime depression, you may consider trying some of these tips to help improve your symptoms from worsening at night:

• Unwind at least two hours before bed. This lets your body start to slow down and get ready for sleep. Good sleep is important for overall health and well-being.
• Keep work and anything stressful outside of the bedroom. This can help to make your sleeping space more calming and positive. Consider making your bedroom a screen-free room if you can.
• Practice stress-relieving activities. Calming activities that relieve stress like painting or mindful baking can help you cope with your depression at night. Yoga and meditation can also help you relieve stress before bed.
• Avoid bright screens. Try not to look at any bright screens for at least two hours before bed, and dim the lights as much as possible.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine intake. Both of these can increase symptoms of depression. Caffeine too late in the day can also disrupt your sleep.

Originally posted by Voice Media

Published By VMT News Ltd

Photo by Nathan Cowley

Photo by cottonbro studio

By Colby Stong

February 15, 2024

• Researchers are reporting that stress early in life can contribute to cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood.
• They say that’s because high levels of stress hormones may contribute to heart disease.
• Experts say there are a number of ways parents can help children understand and deal with stress.

Stress in adolescence and early adulthood may contribute to the development of cardiometabolic diseases later in life, according to a studyTrusted Source published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

To reach their findings, researchers looked at the health information of 276 participants from the Southern California Children’s Health Study from 2003 to 2014 and a follow-up assessment from 2018 to 2021.

The stress participants felt was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, with questions about thoughts and feelings during the previous month. Assessments were done in three life stages: childhood (average age of 6 years), adolescence (average age of 13 years), and young adulthood (average age of 24 years).

In early childhood, parents provided information on their child’s stress levels. During adolescence and adulthood, the responses were self-reported.

The researchers categorized participants into four groups:

• Consistently high stress
• Decreasing stress
• Increasing stress
• Consistently low stress

The scientists used six different markers to determine a cardiometabolic risk score in young adulthood:

• Neck artery thickness
• Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
• Body mass index (BMI)
• Percent of body fat
• Android/gynoid ratio
• Hemoglobin A1C

Participants received one point for markers above the normal range. The scientists did not use BMI in calculating the risk score as the body fat percentage and the android/gynoid ratio provided a comprehensive assessment.

End scores ranged from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating higher cardiometabolic risk factors.

Years of chronic stress, long work hours, sleep deprivation and poor eating habits led Romie Mushtaq, M.D., to develop a rare swallowing disorder called achalasia. Doctors told her she was the youngest patient with the most severe case they had ever seen.

Now, almost 20 years later, Dr. Mushtaq has recovered her health and her career is dedicated to understanding how stress is linked to various conditions. “Stress can kill you. It nearly killed me, and I’m a doctor, I should have known better,” she tells The Messenger.

In her new book, The Busy Brain Cure, out Tuesday, the neurologist explains that when someone is under chronic stress — meaning the body consistently remains in the flight-or-fight response — it causes inflammation in the brain. This impacts the circadian rhythm, digestion, and hormones. “Everything is negatively impacted,” she says.

“People with chronic stress have difficulty focusing, difficulty falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep, among other symptoms,” Dr. Mushtaq says. She offers a free online quiz to help people determine how much their stress is affecting them.

How does the mind affect the body?

“Persistent negative emotions are going to rewire the brain to be in chronic stress, and that creates the pattern that I call ‘busy brain,’  Dr. Mushtaq says. Some studies show that stress impacts the immune system as well as the endocrine system — the 50 hormones in the brain and the body that affect all organ systems, she says.

Dr. Mushtaq, who serves as a chief wellness officer at Great Wolf Resorts, says research from the American Psychological Association and The American Institute of Stress shows that more and more Americans are experiencing chronic stress, especially since the pandemic.

“We thought when the world opened back up, things would get better. But research data shows  every year the rates of chronic stress and burnout are getting worse.”

The latest annual poll from Gallup shows an increase in stress in 2021, with four in ten adults worldwide saying they experienced a lot of worry, a small rise from 2020.

How do you treat chronic stress?

Dr. Mushtaq created and implemented an 8-week program for one-1,000 executives to help reset their sleep and lessen anxiety, she says.

The book recreates this program — the self-assessment questionnaires help readers to better understand their particular stressors and then slowly introduce small changes to sleep hygiene, tech use and even food choices.

Dr. Mushtaq calls the small changes in habit “brain shifts,” and over time, they could add up to behavior changes that could potentially relieve chronic stress.

“From the 8-week protocol we recommend specific micro-habits each week that stack upon each other for maximum effectiveness,” she says. Here are a few of the small changes she recommends:

1. Schedule a time to go to bed and practice 30-60 minutes of digital detox prior to bedtime. Find other calming activities, like stretching or taking a bath, to do before bed instead of looking at digital devices.

2. Work on restructuring your sleep/wake cycle to be consistent every day. This might also curb stress eating and carbohydrate cravings.

3. Don’t multitask — instead use sound healing such as binaural beats music during the day to focus on one thing at a time. Take short breaks to just “be” and not “do” for three minutes at a time, a few times a day — what Dr. Mushtaq calls taking a “brain pause.”

4. Add one to two servings of healthy fat to each meal.

5. Talk to your physician about stress and potential lab tests. Important markers of inflammation to check are Vitamin D3 levels, high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and fasting blood sugar.

Do I need to go on a diet?

The program’s novelty is in its very slow and steady pace, which is more conducive to lasting change. “These are micro-habits that are easy to implement without going on a diet,” she says. “Diet is a four-letter word!” The program does not recommend cutting out entire food groups or favorite foods.

The food changes don’t occur until after the first four weeks of the protocol, and by then, stress eating will have hopefully stopped, she says.

Working with chronic stress is a process, and aspects of the program may need to be repeated when a stressful life event occurs. “In the last three pages of the book, I confessed that I almost didn’t get the final edits,” Dr. Mushtaq says. “I was doubting myself and I’m busy as a chief wellness officer and I went back to the protocol again with the help of my therapist and an accountability partner.”

By Sheila Baylis

Original post The Messenger

Photo by cottonbro studio

Brian Trainor, a professor of psychology in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, is also the study’s corresponding author. Trainor says women are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders, but historically, studies focused primarily on men.

“Our work is done in mice, but it was motivated by statistics that have been present for a long time, which is that depression and anxiety are more likely to be diagnosed in women than in men,” Trainor said. “Scientific research, however, was not considering females, so that’s why it’s really important to study both.”

The study looked at brain changes in mice when exposed to certain hormones. Mice are used based on their similarities to humans with certain brain circuits.

“One part is called the extended amygdala, that is pretty well developed in mice, and it actually responds to stress in a way that’s very similar to what you can see in humans,” Trainor said. “So, in humans, we can use imaging like an MRI that you might go to the doctor’s office to have a look at your knee. That same technology can be used to measure how the human brain responds to stress.”

The extended amygdala is the part of the brain that people with anxiety show the strongest responses. The research teams placed mice in different scenarios – at times in the same space as more aggressive mice – and tracked their behavior.

“Before they go through puberty, males and females have the same very strong response to stress,” Trainor said. “What causes the change between mice before puberty and after puberty is whether they are exposed to testosterone.”

Trainor said more work needs to be done to determine how testosterone changes the way the brain responds to certain social stressors and why certain genes are activated by the hormone.

“Our goal is by studying the mechanisms of how stress are affecting the brain, and studying how testosterone is influencing brain regions that respond to stress, that can help us interpret human data,” Trainor said.

The study is currently trying to secure more funding to continue to advance the research and hopefully begin to improve the effectiveness of current medications.

“I don’t think we’re going to come up with better approaches for addressing anxiety unless we understand the processes that are contributing to it,” Trainor said.

You can learn more about the study here.

To Learn More about stress.

BY HUNTER SOWARDS