Risk of Death Increased Five-Fold by Stress

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol strongly predict cardiovascular death among both persons with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease, a new study has said.

In stressful situations, the body responds by producing the hormone cortisol. The effects of cortisol are intended to help the body recover from stress and regain a status of homeostasis, however chronically elevated cortisol levels have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors, such as the metabolic syndrome and accelerated atherosclerosis.

Stress and the Gender Divide
Stress has become entwined in the current lifestyle of a young working couple and has resulted in the rise in incidence of hypertension, diabetes and psychosomatic illnesses.

"Previous studies have suggested that cortisol might increase the risk of cardiovascular mortality, but until now, no study had directly tested this hypothesis," said Nicole Vogelzangs, of VU University Medical Center in The Netherlands and lead author of the study.

"The results of our study clearly show that cortisol levels in a general older population predict cardiovascular death, but not other causes of mortality."

In this study, researchers evaluated 861 people aged 65 years and older who participated in a prospective cohort study. Within six years of the beginning of the study 183 participants had died.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Complications, Dignosis, Treatment
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is a mental condition triggered by a traumatic event. PTSD treatment includes pyschotherapy, behavior therapy and medications.

Urinary cortisol levels of subjects were measured at the beginning of the study and cause of death was ascertained from death certificates.

Researchers found that urinary cortisol did not increase the risk of non-cardiovascular mortality but did increase cardiovascular mortality risk.

Stress Incontinence About
Stress incontinence is the most common type of urinary incontinence. Women are more prone to it than men.

The third of the subjects with the highest urinary cortisol had a five-fold increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.

The study has been accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).

Source-ANI