Can life’s daily challenges of a job, family, and other obligations cause stress and impact indicators of health, such as blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol? Researchers say yes, and when it comes to cholesterol, high levels lead to cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, and more. So, let us examine the impact of stress on your health and outline stress management techniques that have the potential to bring your cholesterol levels into a healthier range.
What Should Your Blood Cholesterol Level Be?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance produced by the liver and contained in certain foods. It plays a vital role in producing hormones, vitamin D, and digestive acids. However, too much cholesterol build-up in the arteries can cause the artery walls to narrow and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
To determine your cholesterol level, your primary care physician or cardiologist will do a routine blood test called a lipoprotein profile. This easy test measures three types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides.
Generally, a healthy total cholesterol level is 200 mg/dl or lower. HDL, or high-density lipids, are called good cholesterol because these molecules work to move harmful fats to the liver for elimination from the body. HDL in a healthy range should be 60 mg/dL or lower. LDL, or low-density lipids, are called bad cholesterol because these lipids tend to accumulate in the coronary arteries and other important blood vessels in the body. A healthy LDL level is 100 mg/dL. Triglycerides are stored fats that the body uses to increase energy levels. Triglycerides in a healthy range should be at 150 mg/dL or lower.
Studies show that several factors influence our blood lipid levels. These factors include:
- Age
- Heredity
- Level of physical fitness and activity
- Gender
- Diet
- Alcohol consumption
- Cigarette smoking (which narrows blood vessel walls and makes fatty plaque stickier)
In addition, studies show that increased levels of life stress can increase cholesterol levels. When we are stressed, particularly from high anxiety and tension due to grief, job change, or other pressing life circumstances, our bodies release hormones that increase blood sugar and fats. These hormones (cortisol for example) and other physiological changes increase blood glucose levels, blood pressure, LDL, and triglycerides beyond beneficial ranges.
The Impact of Stress on Cholesterol Levels
When faced with stressors in our daily lives, cortisol levels do rise significantly and stay elevated. Not only does this have an immediate impact on our bodies, but over time, cortisol can contribute to chronic inflammation which is strongly linked to heart disease. Additionally, blood vessels that feed the myocardium, or heart muscle, constrict during periods of high anxiety. When stress is long-standing, people become prone to ischemic heart disease and consequent heart attack events.
In addition to raising cortisol levels in the bloodstream, stress can also cause us to engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms such as overeating or indulging in alcohol and cigarettes. These behaviors not only directly affect our cholesterol levels, but they also indirectly impact how much we move. People who are anxious and stressed often become depressed and reduce the amount of beneficial physical activity they engage in. As such, less exercise and movement create hyperlipidemia.
Managing Stress for Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Thankfully, there are many ways we can manage stress in our lives to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Regular exercise (at least 150 minutes per week), controlling your weight and waistline, and avoiding cholesterol-laden and processed foods can lower stress chemicals in the bloodstream, relax blood vessel walls, and reduce blood pressure and blood glucose.
Additionally, cardiologists and internal medicine specialists agree on the following practices as helpful in reducing hyperlipidemia:
- Meditation and prayer
- Journaling about your physical well–being and also your emotional stresses and worries
- Starting a new activity to retrain your mind on positive things
- Avoiding isolation and spending time with friends
- Giving to people in need
- Limiting activities that take too much of your time
Hyperlipidemia Treatment Near Me in Manatee and Sarasota Counties
At Intercoastal Medical Group in Sarasota, FL, our highly qualified team of cardiologists and family medicine doctors can help you manage your cholesterol levels and other indicators of health and wellness. If you would like to know how reducing everyday stress may lower your “numbers,” contact a primary care physician or cardiologist at one of our 10 state-of-the-art locations or request your visit here. We feel privileged to serve patients of all ages and walks of life, helping them enjoy the highest level of health and wellness possible.
