Take a deep breath. Stress could be taking a toll on your heart, according to a new study from the American Heart Association.
Researchers found that men who suffer from severe anxiety symptoms—including feeling unusually worried, nervous, or tense—have a 14 percent increased risk for stroke.
It could be because if you have higher stress levels, you may be more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors—smoking or inactivity—which are linked to greater cardiovascular disease risk, says study coauthor Maya J. Lambaise, Ph.D., at the University of Pittsburgh.
And it’s not just severe anxiety that’s problematic. People who reported feeling anxious were 24 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who didn’t, according to a 2012 Columbia University study.
Take matters into your own hands by learning how to breathe right. “A person with anxiety tends to shallow-breathe, which increases anxiety,” says Jane Pernotto Ehrman, MEd of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Lifestyle Medicine.
To prevent this, take a few full breaths from deep in your abdomen. Suck air through your nose until your lungs are full. Slowly inhale and fill your lungs so that they expand and push down your diaphragm. On exhalation, your diaphragm moves back and, in the process, helps your lungs move air and your heart pump blood.
And if you think your problem is worsening, call your doc—especially if you notice signs of more severe anxiety like insomnia, digestive problems, depression, substance abuse, headaches, and teeth grinding.