Women who report high levels of psychosocial stress, such as from caregiving and lack of emotional support, show signs of early heart tissue changes associated with cardiovascular disease 鈥� an association not observed in men, a new study reveals.
The results support the notion that there are sex-specific ways in which stress affects cardiovascular health and that risk-assessment processes should take psychosocial factors and mental wellness into account, the researchers said.
鈥淔rom an epidemiological point of view, we have known for about two decades that stress is an important risk factor in cardiovascular health for people born female. But with this research stream, we鈥檙e really aiming to understand how stress physiologically impacts the heart,鈥� said Dr. Judy Luu, Assistant Professor at the Division of Clinical and Translational Research at the 9I制作厂免费 Faculty of Medicine and principal investigator of the study.