| We all know what blood pressure means and | | | | in several ways.One of the explanations provided |
| what high or low blood pressure portends. Well to | | | | for the link observed between mental and |
| set the records straight, the heart pumps blood | | | | cardiovascular health is that chronic emotional |
| that is circulated throughout the body by vessels | | | | states, such as depression, fear or anxiety, |
| called arteries and veins. The arteries take blood | | | | stimulate the body's fight-or-flight mechanism. In |
| away from the heart to all parts of the body, | | | | response, the blood pressure and blood cholesterol |
| while the veins return this circulated blood back to | | | | shoots up. When this persists for a long time, |
| the heart. In these vessels, the force of flow of | | | | chronic high blood pressure could result. Funnily |
| the blood generates what is regarded as blood | | | | enough, a Newsweek issue stated that the word |
| pressure.However, there are two types of blood | | | | 'angina' (name of one of the symptoms of high |
| pressures: systolic and diastolic. The pressure | | | | blood pressure) shares a common root with the |
| generated as the heart beats while pumping is | | | | word 'anger', that perhaps explains the correlation |
| known as the systolic, while the diastolic pressure | | | | between emotions and high blood pressure more |
| is the pressure generated by blood returning to | | | | succinctly.A clinical study carried out in the United |
| the heart through the veins. Thus, it is convenient | | | | States showed that emotions such as depression |
| to say that systolic pressure is the blood pressure | | | | probably stimulate the production of certain |
| in the arteries while diastolic is that in veins.As | | | | inflammatory chemicals in the body which are |
| with several similar conditions, a thousand factors | | | | known to cause damage to blood vessels. They |
| are indicted in the onset and progression of high | | | | explained that in hostile and depressed people, the |
| blood pressure. Inactivity and unhealthy diets have | | | | body tends to produce and build up large volumes |
| been the most highlighted risk factors. Most blood | | | | of stress hormones, stimulating the immune |
| pressure medications and advice are always | | | | system to build up inflammation which in turn |
| targeted at improving lifestyles such as increased | | | | promotes heart disease at every stage - from |
| activity and healthy dieting. Recently, however, | | | | high blood pressure to heart attack.When you |
| physicians have discovered that beyond diet and | | | | hear all the stories about diet and exercise being |
| exercise, your mood, emotions, anxieties, worries, | | | | good for your heart, remember that what you |
| fears and joy all contribute, largely, to the risk of | | | | can do to help your heart function healthily and |
| high blood pressure. In short, a link seems to have | | | | effectively go beyond eating the right food, |
| been established between mental and | | | | smoking cessation or regular exercise. A good |
| cardiovascular health.Mounting evidence points to | | | | outlook on life is almost as important. You won't |
| the fact that chronic emotional states such as | | | | have to go about with that sore face; a simple |
| stress, anxiety, hostility, depression or childhood | | | | smile could help your heart. Doctors established a |
| trauma and loneliness play very important roles in | | | | long time ago that happy and humorous people |
| the cause of high blood pressure and other | | | | don't fall sick; they don't suffer high blood |
| cardiovascular diseases. These factors are | | | | pressure and other debilitating ailments, just |
| appearing to be as potent as or even stronger | | | | because they choose to be happy. You would |
| than the conventionally established cardiovascular | | | | agree that's not such a difficult decision to make. |
| risks, such as inactivity, smoking, diabetes etc. It | | | | Decide to live a tension-free life today; your heart |
| is believed that emotional states affect behavior | | | | needs it. |