Is There a Link Between Stress and Cholesterol?

Stress is unfortunately an unavoidable part of our everyday life. It is an integral part of daily responsibilities, contact with the people around us, our relationships with loved ones, etc.

But each of us must develop certain skills to be able to live with and control stress. Otherwise, stress can threaten our health, affect our mental health and mood, and disrupt our daily functioning.

In addition to the many harmful effects of stress, it can also affect cholesterol levels, something we’ll talk about below.

What is stress and which form is especially dangerous and harmful?

Stress is considered a normal human reaction to harmful and potentially dangerous situations – whether they are real and truly dangerous or our perception of them is simply that.

Exposure to such a situation causes numerous chemical reactions in the body that prepare it to fight or avoid danger. This reaction is known as “fight or flight”.

It is an automatic human reaction and was crucial for our ancestors and their survival. Stress increases heart rate, quickens breathing, tightens muscles, and increases blood pressure. In this way, the body is ready to act, that is, to defend itself.

The problem is that today, situations are usually not life-threatening, that is, the source of stress is often from harmless sources. However, the perception of stressful situations is different and individual for everyone. Something stressful for one person may not be at all for another. Some people simply handle and function better under stress.

Sometimes stress in moderate doses can have a positive effect. It can help us complete an important task with increased concentration, focus, and precision. But long-term – chronic stress has completely different effects on the body.

Chronic stress can seriously impair health and increase the risk of numerous diseases. The symptoms and effects of chronic stress can be divided into several categories:

• Emotional – irritability, frustration, difficulty returning to a relaxed state, avoiding contact with other people
• Physical – low energy level, headaches, insomnia, muscle pain, frequent colds, dry mouth, sweaty palms, etc.
• Cognitive – constant worry, constant thinking and focusing on the problem, memory problems, reduced concentration, pessimism, etc.
• Changes in appetite, sleep, habits, motivation, etc.

Can stress raise cholesterol?

One study that included over 90,000 respondents studied the connection between stress and cholesterol, that is, people who have a job that they consider stressful were examined. This study showed that there is still a confirmed and significant association between stress and elevated cholesterol levels.

Another study published in 2017 also showed that frequent exposure to stress leads to elevated levels of so-called “bad” or LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Subjects in this study also had reduced values ​​for “good” HDL cholesterol.

Scientists explain this effect of stress through several mechanisms. First, stress is the main cause of the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which is also called the “stress hormone”.

If cortisol is in high concentrations in the blood, it can: increase fat deposits (especially in the stomach area), affect the creation of fat tissue throughout the body, increase appetite, etc.

Also, during stressful situations, people tend to make poorer food choices. They find “comfort” in high-calorie, processed, and unhealthy foods, so it often happens when we are stressed that we eat: chips, french fries, fried food, sweets, ice cream, etc.

This affects the overall health negatively and contributes to elevated cholesterol levels.

Stress also increases inflammation, so long-term exposure to stress can lead to chronic inflammation. This is particularly harmful and has been linked to elevated cholesterol, in addition to a host of other health problems.

Also, our body reacts differently when we are stressed, so it often excretes free fatty acids and glucose, to obtain a quick and easily available source of energy. Genetically, stress is the body’s reaction to some kind of danger and it thinks that we need a large amount of energy to be able to deal with the danger.

But today’s stressful situations are often harmless and we don’t need that energy, so the released sugars and fats will remain unused, and this can lead to an increase in cholesterol and fat deposits in the long term.

Stress can be especially harmful to people with already impaired cardiovascular health

We know very well that not everyone reacts equally to stressful situations. But science has discovered that in some people, the heart in particular can react differently to stress.

For example, under stressful situations, the blood pressure in some people rises significantly more, in contrast to others where it does not show a significant increase. This “reactivity” of the cardiovascular system to stress puts certain people in a category where the risk of health problems is higher.

People who have elevated cholesterol are already considered a risk group, so they need to manage or avoid stress. For those whose cardiovascular system is particularly “reactive” to stress, the risk of heart attack or stroke is higher.

Therefore, there are some simple but effective recommendations for managing stress and reducing the risk of complications. Some of them are:

• Following a healthy, balanced diet based on plant foods, grains, fish, etc.
• Regular physical activity
• Practicing relaxing activities
• Maintaining a healthy work-life balance
• Socializing with loved ones
• Healthy sleeping habits, etc.