Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Healthwatch, we're talking about stress, an inescapable part of modern life. Stress can affect your physical health, but it's not the biggest danger to your heart.
While you should learn to manage stress to protect your physical and emotional well-being, doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center say a stressful life isn't your biggest risk factor for heart problems. You should be more concerned about factors like diet, exercise, cholesterol levels and obesity. Those are likely to give you a heart attack, though some of those factors may relate to stress.
Dr. James de Lemos, a UT Southwestern cardiologist, says high-powered executives don't have more heart attacks than anyone else. In fact, they tend to be disciplined and organized enough to fit exercise into their busy schedules, which helps protect them from heart attacks.
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April 2005
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