High Blood Pressure & Stress

Approximately one in five Americans suffers from high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). While the cause of this condition is typically hard to pinpoint in most patients, there are a number of factors physicians believe may contribute to the development of long-term high blood pressure. Because even temporary increases in blood pressure can put a person at risk for health complications, finding ways to relieve stress can help to keep your body healthy and your heart in good shape.

Stress' Affect on the Body

• When faced with a stressor, the body releases the hormones adrenaline and cortisol into the blood, creating a "fight-or-flight" response in the body. This "fight-or-flight" response causes the heart to beat faster, the blood vessels to tighten and blood pressure to temporarily increase.

Can Stress Cause Long-Term High Blood Pressure?

• No study has yet proven that stress can cause long-term high blood pressure. In fact, in 90 to 95 percent of patients diagnosed with high blood pressure, the cause of the condition is unknown.

Stress' Direct Affect on Blood Pressure

• Not only can stress cause a temporary, but significant, increase in blood pressure, it can also cause just as much damage to the blood vessels and heart as long-term high blood pressure.

Stress' Indirect Affect on Blood Pressure

• While no study has definitively labeled stress as the cause of long-term high blood pressure, other factors related to stress--such as heavy drinking, poor sleep or poor diet--can contribute to the development of the condition.

Blood Pressure, Stress and Stroke

• According to a study performed by the Institute of Preventative Medicine, Kommune Hospitalet, in Copenhagen, Denmark, patients who reported high stress were also noted as having a higher risk of fatal stroke, compared to patients who reported no stress.