Too much stress can lead to heart problem. A new study finds that stress fires up parts of the immune system when one gets into personal conflicts with others.
It is not clear how stress can make you sick, but the activated parts of the immune system - which cause inflammation in the body – have been linked to conditions such as diabetes and cancer. If the immune system is constantly activated, this can contribute to a multitude of chronic health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and neuropsychiatricdisorders.
In the new study, researchers sought to determine whether the stress of personal conflicts and competitive sports would trigger the release of molecules known as cytokines, which are linked to inflammation.
The researchers paid 122 young adults (53 men and 69 women) to take part in the study. The participants filled out diaries about their activities over eight days, focusing on their interactions with others and whether these were positive or negative. The participants were also given stress tests in the lab. Saliva samples were taken before and after those tests, to measure biological markers for inflammation.
The researchers found that cytokine levels went up after ‘negative’ interactions, usually arguments. But playing sports didn’t have the same effect, even though it’s competitive.
Low-grade inflammation in the body can contribute to the buildup of artery-blocking plaque and contribute to disorders linked to an out-of-control immune system, such as asthma.
