It's long been common knowledge that stress harms the heart—think phrases like 'Watch out for your heart.' Now, research from the British Heart Foundation confirms it: chronic stress significantly raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This landmark study also reveals that the risk of heart attack or stroke increases as a result. Remarkably, stress triggers calcium deposits—similar to limescale—in the arteries.
The findings, published in the prestigious European Heart Journal by the British Heart Foundation, examined individuals aged 53 to 76. After a severe stress test, participants showed elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, followed immediately by detectable calcium buildup in their blood vessels.
Calcium deposits have long been recognized as a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. While this doesn't prove stress as the sole cause, the researchers emphasize it as a critical contributing factor.
