Studies suggest that the high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. These are common risk factors for heart disease.
Stress cardiomyopathy symptoms include sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, fast heart beats, and dizziness. Up to 30% of people who experience this condition are unaware of what triggered their symptoms.
When you're anxious, your brain sends a surge of adrenaline and cortisol through your body. These hormones immediately trigger a rapid rise in your heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, many people experience chest pain and sweating, or have a hard time breathing.
Sudden stress can cause a cardiac event that feels like a heart attack, called takotsubo cardiomyopathy or “broken heart syndrome.” This stress-induced cardiomyopathy isn't associated with the artery blockages that lead to a heart attack, though it may cause your heart to pump inefficiently for up to a month.
The Effect of Anxiety on the Heart
Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) – In serious cases, can interfere with normal heart function and increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Increased blood pressure – If chronic, can lead to coronary disease, weakening of the heart muscle, and heart failure.
The difference is that, when extra heartbeats in the upper and lower chambers are the cause of abnormal rhythm, symptoms may feel like an initial skip or hard thumping beat followed by a racing heart. When anxiety is the trigger, heart rate typically increases steadily rather than suddenly.
"There is no solid evidence that stress can directly cause a heart attack," says Doukky. "However, chronic stress — the kind of stress that's due to ongoing situations like a bad relationship or difficult job — can lead to risk factors that affect heart health."
Broken heart syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo syndrome, occurs when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle.
When you experience depression, anxiety or stress your heart rate and blood pressure rise, there's reduced blood flow to the heart and your body produces higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Over time, these effects can lead to heart disease.
Common symptoms of stress in women include: Physical. Headaches, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, pain (most commonly in the back and neck), overeating/under eating, skin problems, drug and alcohol misuse, lack of energy, upset stomach, less interest in sex/other things you used to enjoy.
The good news is that the heart muscle usually heals within 2-4 weeks, and most people fully recover within two months. You may need regular follow-ups with echocardiograms to check your heart's recovery. It is important to manage any physical or emotional stress that may have triggered your condition.
People who suffer from panic attacks often say their acute anxiety feels like a heart attack, as many of the symptoms can seem the same. Both conditions can be accompanied by shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, sweating, a pounding heartbeat, dizziness, and even physical weakness or temporary paralysis.
Many people expect a heart attack to come on suddenly. But research suggests that women experience symptoms for several weeks before a heart attack. A study published in 2003 of 515 women who had experienced a heart attack, reports 80 percent of women had at least 1 symptom at least 4 weeks before their heart attack.
Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.
“I understand that heart attacks have beginnings and on occasion, signs of an impending heart attack may include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, shoulder and/or arm pain and weakness. These may occur hours or weeks before the actual heart attack.
Propranolol belongs to a group of medicines called beta blockers. It's used to treat heart problems, help with anxiety and prevent migraines. If you have a heart problem, you can take propranolol to: treat high blood pressure.
Wearable ECGs, such as those found in smartwatches and mobile apps, have recently become popular among patients. These ECGs can be applied to manage patients with anxiety, as they have been used to detect, monitor, and reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Chest pain
If it's a heart attack, it's usually described as a heaviness, tightness or pressure in the chest; people will often describe it as 'an elephant sat on my chest' or 'it felt like a tight band around my chest,' that sort of constricting feeling.
Cardiophobia is defined as an anxiety disorder of persons characterized by repeated complaints of chest pain, heart palpitations, and other somatic sensations accompanied by fears of having a heart attack and of dying.
Although takotsubo cardiomyopathy most often affects females aged 62–76 years, males with the condition are less likely to have a positive outlook. The condition commonly occurs immediately after experiencing extreme emotional or physical stress.