Stress can damage every system in the body and can even contribute to heart disease and death. Stress damages the immune system. Research appearing in Stress Medicine (1991;7:53-60) found that stress can decrease the activity of natural killer cells. Students who were under stress were more likely to come down with a cold, according to research appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine (August 29, 1991;325(9):606-612). Even AIDS patients fare better with less stress; an article that appeared the Medical Tribune (February 10, 1994), AIDS patients who were pessimistic about their health became sick more quickly and died earlier than patients with a positive outlook.
Patients with other health issues also fare better when stress is reduced. A study that appeared in the journal Digestion (1991;50:36-42)found that patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome responded to stress management. Stress can affect fertility, according to a study published in the Medical Tribune (December 1, 1994;16). Even cancer patients do better when stress management is part of the treatment. A study of 68 melanoma patients undergoing surgical treatment found that those receiving psychological counseling had a reduced rate of recurrence of melanoma and a lower death rate than those not receiving psychological intervention.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease are all linked to stress, according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (1992;11(5);609/Abstract 40). According to Postgraduate Medicine (January 1991;89(1):159-164), stress can be involved in coronary spasm, plaque formation, increased platelet aggregation, and thrombus formation. Stress has even been linked to sudden cardiac death.
