Handling Stress May Add Years to Life
'Good' cholesterol seems to benefit from coping strategy
 (HealthDay News) -- People who keep cool under stress might be increasing the "good" cholesterol in their bloodstream, which keeps arteries clear and could help extend their life.
U.S. researchers analyzed 716 men who averaged 65 years old and were taking part in a long-term study on aging. Each man was asked to describe the most stressful situation he had encountered the previous week and then described how they coped with that stress by selecting from among 26 strategies. Each strategy was scored on the basis of hostility the men displayed and other characteristics.
After an overnight fast, blood samples were collected from the men and checked for levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and fats called triglycerides. Men who used hostility, self-blame and self-isolation as ways of coping with stress had lower HDL levels. These coping strategies were also associated with higher triglyceride levels, but had no effect on LDL levels.
The findings, presented at an American Psychological Association convention, were a surprise, said researcher Carolyn M. Aldwin, chairwoman of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University .
Before the study, it had been thought that the men who had a hostile response to stress increased levels of LDL cholesterol, the type that forms artery-clogging plaques.
"It was thought that the choice of a coping strategy had an immediate effect on LDL cholesterol," Aldwin said.
The study wasn't designed to look at the mechanism that affected cholesterol levels, but Aldwin offered one theory. Men who remain calm and control their hostility while under stress avoid increasing levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, which affects blood fat levels.
"The theory is that if you stay calm, you actually decrease levels of stress hormones," Aldwin told HealthDay .
The findings suggest that "the personality trait of emotional stability is protective against mortality," she said. "Those men who were good in self-regulation had higher HDL levels."
Translated into day-to-day life, that means it's important to avoid becoming too upset about stressful situations.
"You have to keep problems in perspective," Aldwin said. "Most problems are not major when compared to life-threatening trauma." The best way to handle a stressful situation, she said, "is to go ahead and fix the problem."
But not all problems can be resolved -- and that, she said, means you just have to learn to let go.
On the Web
To learn more about stress, visit the American Psychological Association.
SOURCES:
HealthDay News ; Carolyn M. Aldwin, Ph.D., chairwoman, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Portland, Ore.; Aug. 18, 2007, annual meeting, American Psychological Association, San Francisco
Author:
Robert Preidt
Publication Date:
Aug. 31, 2008
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