is it possible for stress to cause a heart attack or stroke, or do stressed people generally have poorer diet, be smokers, etc?

Question

Is it possible for stress to cause a heart attack or stroke, or do stressed people generally have poorer diet, be smokers, etc?

You often hear of people (usually men over 50) having a heart attack or stroke and it being attributed to stress. But can stress actually cause these things to happen, or do stressed people tend to have poor health in other ways eg smoking, drinking, eating unhealthy foods, not exercising, etc?

In: Biology

Answer 1

is likely a combination of things; but that doesnt mean we cant narrow it down to if we remove X behaviors A/B/C wouldnt have caused

stress does create a physical response in the body, and these responses are what could generally lead to a heart attack. stress releases a chemical called cortisol, and this chemical does increase blood pressure and cholestoral and blood sugar. if these remain elevated for a long period of time, your chance of heart attack or stroke are also magnified