Heart health is a hot topic here at EHS. As Catherine wrote, the statistics are staggering. Roughly every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and by the time you finish reading this blog, an American will die from one.
I am sure it is not a coincidence that Valentine’s Day—the day of commemorating affection for lovebirds, and a day of trepidation for those lackluster in love—falls in the same month. As cliché as it may seem, maybe heart disease and “love” as we know it are not so disconnected.
In Eastern tradition, risk factors similar to those associated with heart disease may be indicative of a closed anahata (heart) chakra. The chakra system is an energetic system believed to exist in the subtle-or sacred-body of beings, consisting of wheel-like centers and points along the body where energy is received and transmitted. Anahata—a Sanskrit word meaning unhurt, unstruck or unbeaten—is positioned behind the spine in the region of the heart. This heart chakra is thought to govern the energy associated with love and the expression of love toward ourselves and each other. It’s the area associated with compassion and intuition.
Whether it’s metaphysically, physiologically or a combination of both, Neil Sedaka is right: Breaking up is hard to do. We have all experienced heartbreak in one form or another in life; but could it really be more than just a figure of speech?
Scientific evidence seems to be proving so. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, characterized by a sudden weakening of the heart muscle, is nicknamed “broken heart syndrome” because it is often triggered by emotional stress including loss of a loved one, separation or dissolution of relationships, and chronic anxiety. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients who suffered cardiac problems following sudden emotional stress were evaluated more closely. After this stress was experienced, stress hormones elevated 7-32 times higher than normal, and 2-3 times higher than the typical heart attack victim. Stress hormones impact the heart’s pumping ability, which then cause chest pain and other heart attack-like symptoms.
Loss and seclusion are often part of breaking up, and those states of being are linked with emotional conditions such as depression. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown abnormal activation of the medial prefrontal cortex in depressive individuals, the part of the brain associated with cognitive behaviors, personality expression, decision making and social behavior. This dysfunction may be related to more apparent changes in behavior during depressive times, such as inactivity, poor judgment, unhealthy lifestyle and psychological weakness—some of the same items found on the heart disease risk factor list.
Dr. Mary Whooley and a team of researchers at the VA studied more than 1,000 heart disease patients for nearly five years, assessing various physiological biomarkers linked with both heart disease and depression. Of the total patients, 20 percent were depressive, and those individuals had a 50 percent greater rate of heart complications than those who were not depressive.
Undoubtedly, exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, and managing stress are critical for reducing heart health risks. Perhaps our relationships, however—with ourselves, and each other—should not be underestimated.
Having a better understanding of how relationships impact heart health is the first step. Focusing on the positives rather than the pain may be the best second. As Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love wrote, “This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.”
Rebecca Thieneman, MS, RD, NASM-PT, Manager, Engagement Specialist
Photo via Manu_H
Adam
February 16, 2012 at 1:39 pmThanks for your insight and holistic approach to heart health. It really makes me think about the implications of the negatively stressful relationships we allow ourselves to endure at times. It also makes me consider the dangers of losing those we love deeply and how little control we have in those situations.