Frequent Stress? Be Careful Cholesterol Can Soar

JAKARTA - Everyone must have experienced stress, either because of work, financial problems, family problems, or major changes in life such as moving homes. When you feel pressured, the body will release the hormone adrenaline and cortisol, which is a natural chemical that spurs heart rate, sharpens concentration, and helps you face challenges.

A little stress can actually be useful because it can motivate you to focus and complete tasks. However, persistent stress is another story. If your stress hormone remains high in the long term, it can burden your heart and other organs.

Reporting from the WebMD page, high cortisol due to chronic stress can increase levels of total cholesterol in the blood, especially bad cholesterol (LDL).

For a long time, excess LDL cholesterol can accumulate on arterial walls and clog blood flow. Stress can also trigger inflammation that lowers good cholesterol levels (HDL), whose function helps clean LDL from blood.

The range of cholesterol levels recommended for healthy adults is:

- Total cholesterol: below 200 mg/dL

- LDL cholesterol: less than 100 mg/dL, or below 70 mg/dL for people with heart disease or diabetes

- HPL cholesterol: 40 mg/dL or more for men, 50 mg/dL or more for women

- Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL

Research shows that high stress in everyday life can increase the risk of high cholesterol:

- In a large study of more than 91,500 adults from various professions, work stress is associated with high cholesterol, including increased LDL and decreasing HDL. People with high work stress are also more likely to use cholesterol drugs.

- Studies of police officers in Iowa show that female officers have higher levels of stress, high cholesterol, and diabetes than other male and female officers in the state. A total of 77% of female officers refer to stress as the main cause of their health problems.

- Another study of 439 bus drivers, trucks and taxis found that those with high work stress tended to have high LDL and triglycerides, low HDL, and high blood pressure.

Some of the relationships between stress and cholesterol stem from bad habits when a person tries to cope with stress. When you face pressure, you may eat unhealthy foods, gain weight, smoke, drink alcohol excessively, or become lazy to move, all of which increase the risk of high cholesterol.

If you already have high cholesterol, stress can worsen your condition. In one study of about 200 middle-aged men and women who have high cholesterol and are observed for 3 years, participants with higher stress have higher cholesterol levels than those with lower stress.

Even young and healthy people can experience a surge in cholesterol during high stress. In a study of 208 students under 30 years of age, stress and cholesterol hormone levels (including LDL and total cholesterol) increased as they underwent the final test.

Don't be tempted to overeat, eat junk food, drink alcohol, or smoke while stressed. Even though it feels relieved in the short term, this habit has a bad impact on health in the long term, including increasing cholesterol. The following lifestyle changes can help manage stress and cholesterol at once:

- Call friends, family, or colleagues who can encourage you. Schedule a direct meeting, telephone, or online chat.

- Become a volunteer. Helping other people can improve mood and reduce stress.

- Write journals or blogs to express thoughts. Distributing emotions through writing can be better than harboring them.

- Listen to music. Slow tempo music can calm the mind, while fast music can give energy.

- Exercise regularly. Physical activity releases endorphins, natural chemicals that reduce stress. If you are fit, the body is better prepared to face pressure.

- Try relaxation exercises such as meditation, yoga, or mindfulness.

Sometimes, stress is not just an ordinary daily stress. It could be that you experience anxiety disorders, which are characterized by great fear or panic that appear suddenly and often. Immediately see a doctor if you experience the following signs:

- Feeling unable to deal with stress or worries.

- Stress and anxiety interfere with work or household relationships.

- Experiencing depression, or using alcohol/drugs to calm down.

- Ever thought of committing suicide.

Doctors will perform an examination to diagnose whether you have an anxiety or depression disorder, then refer to you for proper treatment if necessary.