Stress gene can lead to fatal heart attacks if not identified early
Stress management can also include eating healthily and doing regular exercise.
London (PRWEB UK) 10 March 2014
Research has found that the ‘stress gene’ has been linked to a higher risk of dying from a heart attack or heart disease. But, fear not, a group of doctors from Duke University of Medicine have now found that early identification of the gene and treatment of people at higher risk may reduce the chances of having a fatal heart attack.
The team also found that patients who had the genetic stress gene had a 38% increased chance of having a heart attack or suffering from fatal heart disease, compared to those without, even after taking into account factors such as age, obesity and smoking.
Superintendent Pharmacist at ChemistDirect, Omar El-Gohary, said: “The so called ‘stress gene’ is called 5HTR2C. This gene is involved in the regulation of a stress hormone called Cortisol. A person with this stress gene produces almost twice as much Cortisol when stressed, leading to the softening of the arteries and eventually leading to clots and bursting.”
The research suggests that stress management techniques and drug therapies could reduce deaths and disabilities, and this is the first positive step towards finding genetic variants that identify people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
El-Gohary said: “Stress management can also include eating healthily and doing regular exercise. Anger and stress play instrumental roles in causing heart attacks, so if you are prone to this, you should try to manage them through coping strategies or therapy.”
In the study, about one in 10 men and 3% of women in the group of 6,000 heart patients had the genetic change associated with handling emotional stress badly. Professors at the British Heart Foundation said that the results provided further evidence that stress may directly increase the risk of heart disease. (http://bbc.in/1bTfU1c)
The reason why the genetic change increases the risk of heart attack is relatively unknown. The extensive studies being done in America and by the British Heart Foundation continue to prove that a positive lifestyle change can help cope with stress and may be an easy way to reduce risk. (http://bit.ly/1cHPYYs)
El-Gohary advises that if a feeling of anxiousness and stress continues for a prolonged period of time, to make an appointment with a doctor.