By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
June 25, 2000
Does stress affect the blood cholesterol level? Today, you would have to be living in a cave not to know that high cholesterol values are linked to coronary attack. What foods should be avoided. How drugs lower blood cholesterol. But ask anyone how stress affects blood cholesterol and you usually draw a blank. It's ironic when stress is such a common complaint in our daily lives.
In 1968 the Journal of the American Medical Association reported a study carried out at the University of Michigan.
Researchers there examined 200 well©balanced, married men who had lost their jobs because of a plant shutdown. Their blood cholesterol level increased. Then decreased after they found new employment.
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper is founder of the Cooper Clinic and Director of the Aerobics Center in Dallas. And his aerobics system is used by many military organizations throughout the world.
He reports in his book "Controlling Cholesterol" that there is a close association between stress and cholesterol values.
For instance, female Norwegian medical students were studied during their most important pre©clinical test. Blood studies were done immediately following the examination, 48 hours later and finally two months later.
The result? Blood cholesterol values were 20 percent higher the day of the examination.
But even following graduation other situations cause fluctuations in cholesterol values. Chartered accountants face a heavy work load and deadlines as the tax season approaches. Studies show that it's also the time of year their cholesterol values increase, then they subside once this season is over.
Cooper reports an interesting experiment involving demolition training. This is a task for those with nerves of steel. Particularly when the task is underwater demolition.
The U.S. navy recruited 52 young men for its program. Twentyªseven who passed the course had stable cholesterol levels throughout the entire training. But the 24 who failed to become demolition experts had significant increases in blood cholesterol during the final two weeks of the program.
It's also known that astronauts, about to blast off into space, have elevated cholesterol values.Ô 0*0*0* Most of us would prefer to face the stress of a surgical operation than the lethal task of de©fusing a bomb. But what happens to cholesterol values for the thousands of North Americans who every day enter hospital for surgery?
Indian researchers discovered a shocking fact for patients undergoing routine surgery. 65 patients of different ages showed a pre©operative increase in cholesterol levels. They varied between 39 and 56 percent. I shudder to think what happens to those who are about to undergo bypass surgery!
Researchers in Helsinki, Finland, found that even newborn babies are not immune to the stress©cholesterol connection. They discovered an association between cholesterol values and the length of labour. Infants who endured the longest labours had the highest triglyceride levels and the lowest levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.
John Hopkins Medical School researchers examined and kept track of medical students for many years. Only those who had inherited genetically high cholesterol known as hypercholesteremia. These students were 30 times more likely to have heart attacks than their classmates with normal cholesterol.
But they discovered another fact. Some of the students within this group were more sensitive and more vulnerable to stress. These students suffered an even greater number of coronary attacks.
Today it's small wonder that so many people have increased blood cholesterol. After all, stress comes every day in so many different packages and for many different reasons.
A report from The Harvard Medical School shows how difficult it is for us to escape the stress©cholesterol connection.
Its authors point out that noise pollution in cities from cars, construction sites, neighbours' stereos and dozens of other situations causes physiological reactions. And if the source of the noise is particularly annoying the result is even greater, increased heart rate and blood pressure. There's also a temporary increase in blood cholesterol.
My wife may be right when she says I'm killing myself by attending too many hockey games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Like many people I enjoy hockey. But those responsible for the event can't stand silence. Years ago it was possible to just sit, watch and enjoy the game. Now the music and noise nearly bounce you out of the building. I'm better checking my blood cholesterol! And we had all better learn to relax.
W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com
My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:
Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1
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