Stress is a perfectly normal part of life

But if it becomes unmanageable or chronic, stress can lead to emotional, psychological and even physical problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure and chest discomfort (angina).

Stress affects the body in a number of ways. The body reacts to stress by releasing adrenaline, a hormone which causes your heart rate to increase, your breathing to speed up and your blood pressure to rise. This is the body’s natural response as it prepares you to either run from the stress or stay and fight it, often called the ‘flight or fight’ response.

While stress isn’t a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it’s likely to contribute to your risk level. How much it increases your risk depends on how you cope with stress. When stress becomes chronic or occurs frequently, your body stays in this ‘fight or flight’ state more than it should. This type of stress causes your heart rate and blood pressure to increase, which may damage the artery walls.

Furthermore, to cope with stress some people develop undesirable habits such as smoking, overeating and drinking too much. These bad habits will increase your risk of heart disease or heart attack.

What you can do

Changing your lifestyle in a positive way can help you feel better able to cope. Having a balanced diet and regular physical activity will help you cope with stress. If you often feel stressed or anxious, it’s important to learn how to relax. Some people find that physical activity, yoga or other relaxation techniques can help. You could make a list of things that help you to relax and schedule one every day.

You may need to identify situations that make you feel stressed at home or at work and try to avoid them if you can. To help you identify your signs of stress download our free signs of stress worksheet.

You could also learn techniques for managing stress. If you think you are stressed or very anxious, talk to your GP who will be able to help you decide on the best way to deal with it.