Stress can be caused by a variety of factors in a person’s life, and each individual’s stress triggers may be different. Causes of stress often include individual, social, work-related and environmental factors. According to a study conducted in the USA, stress in early ages increases the risk of heart diseases in the future.
Researchers examined data from 276 people ages 13 to 24 who participated in the Child Health Studies affiliated with the University of Southern California.
Participants were divided into 4 groups according to their stress levels: “consistently high stress”, “stress decreasing over time”, “increasing stress over time” and “constantly low stress”.
As a result of their study, researchers found that people with high stress levels gain more weight in later ages, have a higher risk of obesity, and therefore an increased risk of heart disease.
It was also revealed that these people’s vascular health was worse and their blood pressure was higher as they got older.
Fanqi Guo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Southern California, one of the authors of the study, said in a statement to the university’s news site, “This study shows us the importance of stress management at early ages as a preventive health behavior.” he said.