Stress may raise cholesterol levels

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study suggests that exposure to stress over a period of time could result in elevated cholesterol levels.
Stress has various adverse effects on the body. Now, for the first time, doctors at University College, London, show that a raised cholesterol level is one of these negative impacts. They carried out psychological tests that measure how an individual responds to stress. Then they measured their participants' cholesterol levels after three years to see whose had gone up the most.

All the individuals showed some increase in cholesterol level which could be put down to the passage of time. But those who showed big increases in the lab tests also showed the biggest increases over time. This suggests that those who respond excessively to stress in everyday life risk increased cholesterol levels.

It is not entirely clear why stress responses should raise cholesterol levels. It may be that the response makes the body break down more biochemical fuel which increases fatty acid levels and this, in turn, provides more cholesterol. Whatever the reason, we know that raised cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. So it is worthwhile learning to cope better with stress if you want to lower your cholesterol and avoid having a heart attack.

Source
Health Psychology November 2005

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