Stress and Depression: How It Affects Heart Ailments

It is no great secret that heart ailments that eventually lead to having sudden cardiac arrests and heart attacks are the leading cause of death in America. However, heart ailments that are combined with different psychological illnesses such as stress and depression are much more dangerous for the health of an individual. Increasing the risk of having heart ailments means a higher chance of experiencing cardiac arrest – this is why  CPR certifications are truly a must these days.

Aside from having to deal with the problems that come with depression and stress, a person has to deal with the possibility of experiencing cardiac arrest due to the effects of these mental health issues on a person’s heart. However, what are the specific effects of depression and stress on a person’s heart ailment?

Effects of Depression and Stress

There are a number of possible effects of stress and depression to heart disease. Here are the following:

• According to the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a new study states that intense stress and depression in people who happen to have coronary heart ailments create a “perfect storm” which can increase the risk of the patient’s death.
• Depression is not something that should be underestimated. It is characterized by a person feeling down most of the time. This certain situation can affect a person’s health because they may fall into habits that are definitely bad for their heart.
• Stress is a risk factor for heart disease because it exposes your body to unhealthy and elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Also, according to studies, stress changes the way blood clots occur which is definitely increasing the risk of a heart attack.
• Most people relieve stress by smoking cigarettes. However, the mentioned vice is a big risk when it comes to heart ailments.

The following mentioned above are the main reasons why researchers of the said journal suggest that medical experts like doctors should consider additional methods in treating heart ailments that include the intervention of treating stress and depression as well.

The following conditions could be worse depending on how the patient responds to stress and depression. If they let themselves succumb to the feeling of being down and lonely all the time by changing their lifestyle which can be bad for their health, this can result in tragic events such as sudden cardiac arrests, or worse, death.

Key Takeaway

If a sudden cardiac arrest occurred, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR should be performed on the patient right away for a higher chance of survival. At this time, the patient is considered to be clinically dead because their hearts had already stopped beating. Having the capability and the certification to perform CPR properly would help the rescuer buy more time and delay the occurrence of actual death as they wait for the actual medical help to arrive.

To learn more about the proper ways of executing the emergency procedure known as CPR, join the American Health Care Academy today, and enroll in a CPR/AED course.