How does stress cause cardiomyopathy

Stress is the body and brain’s natural, physical, and emotional reaction to challenging, demanding, or threatening situations.

In the stress body releases adrenaline, which prepare the body to deal with challenging situations by increasing heart rate, constricting blood vessels to enhance blood pressure, and increasing blood glucose levels.

If a person remains in stress for a longer time:

• The increased heart rate causes heart muscle fatigue and increased oxygen demand which can damage heart muscles.
• Persistent vasoconstriction may retard blood supply to heart muscles, so low oxygen supply to heart muscles hence muscle damage.
• Persistent high blood pressure causes heart muscle fatigue and damage.

So persistent stress causes prolonged high adrenaline levels, which put extra load on heart and damages heart muscles hence causes cardiomyopathy.

I is very important to manage stress to avoid cardiomyopathy, which can be achieved by lifestyle managements like physical exercise, meditation, healthy eating and counselling.