Heart Disease
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2.91 Sudden Emotional Stress – Sudden emotional stress can set off a type of serious but reversible heart failure, dubbed Broken Heart Syndrome, Researchers at John Hopkins have documented its appearance in people after a death in a family, a surprise party, a robbery and even fear of speaking in public.
2.92 Negative Emotions – It has long been recognised that our emotions have certain influence on the health of our heart. There is growing and convincing body of scientific data showing that long-standing negative emotions such as anger/hostility, intense anxiety (fear of enclosed spaces, height), loneliness/social isolation can be dreadful to people with heart disease. There is even some evidence that physically healthy people, who frequently experience frequent irritability and mood swings or who are constantly jittery and anxious may be literally making them sick by setting the stage for future heart disease. People who are suffering from hopelessness, despair, low self-esteem, difficulties in concentrating and low motivation have a 70% greater risk of heart attack and 60% higher risk of dying than those who do not possess such negative emotions. You may not be able to eliminate particular negative emotions completely but you can regulate and control them better, either by integrating them or bringing them into balance with positive emotions or behaviours.
2.93 Depression – Depression is a disabling medical condition that affects thoughts, feelings and the ability to function in everyday life. Depression and loneliness are linked to illnesses such as heart disease and dementia according to several studies published in 2007. In one study the arteries of those who were most depressed had narrowed twice as much as those who were least depressed. Hardening of the arteries can be a precursor to a heart attack or stroke and may occur because of a malfunctioning nervous system in depressed people. Depression may also upset the body’s regulation of glands that release chemicals governing energy level and growth, and alter the functioning of cells responsible for blood clotting. In a recent trial that measured the outcome of patients who had suffered heart attack, it was seen that being depressed after a heart attack was an independent risk factor for a worse outcome. It was seen that depression increased the risk of death following a heart attack, even when consideration of other heart disease risk factors is nullified.
Lack of Sleep
2.94 Sleep has been described as an important good health indicator as only a disease-free person can have refreshing sleep. Many body processes are activated during sleep which help the human body perform its functions optimally. Oddly sleep and heart functions are intricately related and disorder of one can exaggerate each other’s predicaments. Poor sleep has been associated with hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack, diabetes, stroke and obesity. Sometimes heart disease is a cause of poor sleep.
2.95 Sleep is as essential to our body as a healthy diet. At least, 6-8 hours of quality peaceful sleep is essential for optimal body functions. In an American study people sleeping for five hours or less per day, 40% were susceptible to heart attacks and sudden death. Two important reasons have been put forward to explain this phenomenon. Lack of sleep activates sympathetic nervous system of the body leading to sustain constriction of blood vessels that cause high blood pressure and heart disease. An additional proposition to explain this assumption is that sleep deprivation may lead to sustain increase in blood sugar and insulin levels leading subsequently to heart disease. But it is also judicious to note here that excessive sleep is also as precarious for those who sleep more than nine hours every day making them vulnerable to heart disease.
2.96 An important pattern of sleep is napping after lunch, popularly known as siesta. This has been found to be as beneficial for the heart as regular physical exercise and has been attributed as a potential explanation of low heart disease rates in Greeks in whom siesta is hugely popular. It is essential to abide by a regular bedtime schedule. A busy day at work, full of activity and physical exhaustion is an ideal recipe for a perfect sleep. It is equally essential to keep your bedroom cosy, quiet and dark. Finally, one can do well to avoid inebriating substances such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine to sleep.
