Moms are stressed. Stress is bad. Stressed out moms die young.
That pretty much sums up a new study, which links heart problems and women who live and work in high-stress environments.
According to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, moms, who continually expose themselves to stressful situations, are more likely to have heart problems than ladies who chill in laid back environments. Or who have laid back personalities.
The study featured more than 17,000 women, who were followed since 1999, and sorted into four different categories depending on their levels of stress. Cardiologists evaluated the women based on how much pressure each experienced at home and work. The amount of deadlines, relationships with superiors and levels of creative freedom were all taken into consideration.
According to scientists, the women who reported experiencing the highest level of stress were nearly twice as likely to be at risk for a heart attack. What’s more, the stressed out women were also 40 times more likely to suffer clogged arteries or need heart surgery than their relaxed counterparts.
Interestingly, as most studies go, this one does little to address solutions to the problem. One can assume that eliminating the stressors in one’s life is a sure fire way to reduce the risk of heart problems, but what if you can’t just up and quit your job? Most of us don’t absolutely love what we do, but we need a steady source of income because living on the street can be extremely stressful.
Ditto for stressed out moms. Giving away our offspring is not a viable choice for the majority of us. What’s more, no one said parenthood would be stress-free, so to preserve your health you might consider finding a few relaxing activities to participate in. According to researchers, women who learn to manage their stress levels are less likely to experience negative physical effects.
How do you deal with stressful situations?
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