Stress can cause mental and emotional strain that can lead to physical symptoms, including raised blood pressure, anxiety and depression. High levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol in the bloodstream can cause plaques to form on the walls of the arteries, blocking blood flow to the heart. The symptoms of stress and high cholesterol levels have been linked to heart disease. Stress and high LDL cholesterol may also have a connection.
Unhealthy Diet
High-fat foods that include saturated or trans fats raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, the American Heart Association notes. Low-fat diets help reduce LDL. Regular physical activity helps raise high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, which clears the bloodstream of excess LDL. People undergoing stress may eat an unhealthy diet that includes too many fats to increase harmful cholesterol in the blood. Stress itself may lead to high LDL cholesterol.
Stress Responses
A study of 199 middle-aged men and women by researchers at the University College London examined how people reacted to stress tasks and assessed their cholesterol levels. Over a three-year period, research revealed that people with the highest stress responses were three times more likely to have high levels of LDL cholesterol than those with the lowest stress responses. The researchers concluded that a person's reaction to stress plays a role in the development of high cholesterol levels. The study was reported in the November 2005 issue of "Health Psychology," a publication of the American Psychological Association.
Coping and Protection
Another study of 715 men, averaging age 65, found that those who were able to better cope with stressful experiences had higher levels of HDL cholesterol, according to a 2007 report to the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. The study showed no effect on LDL cholesterol. However, high levels of HDL play a protective role to keep LDL levels in check.
Lowering Risks
Stressful conditions may lead to anxiety or depression. Eating foods that help lower LDL cholesterol levels may also protect you from the negative effects of stress. British and French researchers found that middle-aged people who practiced a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish had a significantly lower risk of depression than people who ate a diet high in fatty and processed foods. The researchers looked at the dietary patterns and mood assessments for 3,486 subjects during a five-year period, according to the study published in the November 2009 issue of the "British Journal of Psychiatry." Fruits and vegetables help lower cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, mackerel and herring, may help prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol.
References
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- American Psychological Association: Mental Stress May be Another Culprit in Raising Cholesterol Levels in Healthy Adults
- ScienceDaily: Ability to Cope With Stress Can Increase 'Good' Cholesterol in Older White Men
- BJ Psych: Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age
- Mayo Clinic: High cholesterol: Lifestyle and home remedies
