Anxiety is a mental health issue that millions of people deal with every day. But anxiety doesn’t just happen “in your head”—its effects ripple throughout the body and can have a particular impact on the cardiovascular system. It’s important to understand this connection between anxiety and heart health since one can influence the other. This means anxiety should be treated holistically: mental health and physical health go hand in hand.
How Anxiety and Heart Health Are Linked
When you feel anxious, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones prepare you for the fight-or-flight response that’s designed to keep you safe in the face of danger. In this state, your body prioritizes immediate survival by sending extra blood to your muscles and increasing your heart rate.
While this response is helpful when facing real threats, chronic anxiety keeps the body in a heightened state of alert even when there’s no immediate danger. Over time, this can affect many of the body’s normal processes, including the heart and vascular system. A prolonged state of stress affects your cardiovascular system in several ways:
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure: Over time, this constant strain can wear down blood vessels and increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and other cardiovascular conditions.
- Inflammation: Anxiety triggers the release of inflammatory markers in the body, which can affect the heart’s health. Long-term inflammation can damage arteries, leading to plaque buildup—a precursor to heart attacks and strokes.
- Irregular heartbeats: Anxiety can disrupt the heart’s normal electrical pathways, sometimes resulting in arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. This can feel like a racing, fluttering, or pounding heart.
- Blood vessel constriction: When you’re anxious, blood vessels constrict to prioritize blood flow to muscles. However, constant anxiety can keep blood vessels constricted, which means more pressure on the heart and limited circulation.
The Vicious Cycle of Worry
Anxiety’s effect on the heart doesn’t just go one way. Worrying about heart health itself can actually make anxiety worse. This is especially true when you experience anxiety symptoms like chest tightness, rapid heartbeats, or shortness of breath. This creates a feedback loop that’s hard to get out of. When people feel symptoms related to their heart, it often amplifies their anxiety, which then worsens the physical symptoms.
For those with health anxiety, minor sensations like a skipped heartbeat or tightness in the chest can spiral into full-blown anxiety attacks, which only further impact their heart health.
Managing Anxiety for a Healthier Heart
Get regular exercise
Physical activity helps lower anxiety levels and strengthens the cardiovascular system. Activities like walking, swimming, or yoga can release endorphins that help reduce anxiety and support a healthy heart.
Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Meditation, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation are great tools for managing anxiety, especially during panic attacks. These techniques help regulate the body’s stress response, controlling blood pressure and heart rate. Regularly practicing mindfulness can also reduce inflammation and improve general cardiovascular health.
Live a healthy lifestyle
Getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet is fundamental for both anxiety management and heart health. Poor sleep can increase anxiety levels and disrupt cardiovascular function, so practicing good sleep hygiene is important. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help reduce inflammation and blood pressure as well as nourish your mind. Avoid overindulging in caffeine and alcohol, as these can also affect your heart.
See a therapist
If anxiety is affecting your heart and you’re feeling even more stressed about your health, talk to a mental health professional. In anxiety therapy, you’ll learn how to disrupt anxious thought spirals and cope with stress.
To learn more about the connection between anxiety and heart health, please reach out to us.
