The link between stress and cholesterol: How are they related?

If you have a lot of stress in your life - and it seems like everyone does these days - you might find that you have some other health problems too. That's because acute stress isn't just some annoyance; it can become its very own complicated set of risk factors and health problems, including high cholesterol.

Chronic or psychological stress from a high-pressure job, toxic home life, or mental health conditions like anxiety can negatively impact your body in a number of ways. Problems associated with chronic stress may include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, circulatory issues, weight control problems, and even high levels of cholesterol. Here, we’ll focus on discussing the link between stress and cholesterol.

Stress vs. chronic stress

Everyone experiences physical or mental stress from time to time. It's part of being human. When your body is preparing you for a stressful situation, it activates what is called the stress response, which can make your breath fast and shallow, cause your heart to beat faster and harder, and reroute blood away from your internal organs toward your muscles.

The stress response might sound (and feel) scary, but your body is meant to handle it - from time to time and in the right amounts, that is. On the other hand, being constantly stressed can lead to chronic stress, which can be a risk factor for a number of other health issues.

Chronic stress can come from many sources, including having a stressful or dangerous job. Some demographics can experience higher levels of job-related stress, with one example being female law enforcement officers. You can also experience stress from pressure related to school, from being in a bad relationship, living in an abusive home, or other long-term stressful situations. Chronic stress can also come from a mental health illness like an anxiety disorder. People with anxiety disorders can experience more extreme symptoms of stress in stressful situations and are likely to find some usually non-stressful situations to be stressful. They are also more likely to experience panic attacks. 

Panic attacks can be described as a stress response gone bad. During a panic attack, the individual may have trouble breathing and may even think that they are dying. The panic attack may also be accompanied by psychological symptoms like feeling like you’re losing a grip on reality.

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This type of ongoing stress can impact your health after a while. But how does it affect cholesterol?

What is cholesterol?

"Cholesterol" is the name that we give to a group of compounds that the body uses to transport fat (after it has been broken down into fatty acids) to where it needs to be in the body. Your doctor might provide information about "good cholesterol" and "bad cholesterol;" good cholesterol (also known as HDL cholesterol) takes fat from places where it is stored to places where your body needs it, while bad cholesterol (also known as LDL cholesterol)  takes fat that your body doesn't need to places where it can be stored. Cholesterol is usually measured during blood lipid profiles and represented as milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

A lot of things can affect your cholesterol, including your diet, your activity level, medications, other health conditions, and possibly even genetic factors. To maintain good cholesterol levels, there are various things you can do, such as make lifestyle changes, exercise, and eat a healthy diet. You may also want to watch your intake of red meat and fried or processed foods, consuming them in moderation or opting for plant-based foods instead. 

Eating too much red meat may lead to elevated cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease. High blood cholesterol (also known as lipid disorder) or high cholesterol levels can result in fatty deposits developing in the blood vessels, which may impede blood flow. If one of these deposits breaks off, it could form a dangerous clot. 

Metabolism changes

Your metabolism is a description of how your body uses energy. When you take in more energy than you use, you tend to gain weight. Conversely, when you use more energy than you take in, you tend to lose weight. The amount of energy that you use is largely determined by how active you are, but it's also determined by your metabolism.

Some people have a faster metabolism than others, but your metabolism can also change at different periods of life. It also changes when you are experiencing high stress levels. Again, in the short term, the change may not be significant but if you're stressed a lot, it can make a big difference.

Specifically, the messenger molecules adrenaline and cortisol (sometimes referred to as “stress hormones”) are responsible for changing your body's energy use during stress. Stress hormones function as a way to trigger the body’s natural “fight or flight” response. This “fight or flight” response can allow us to deal with the stress associated with immediate threats. There's also a theory that hormone changes related to the stress response can lead to craving high-calorie and fat-rich foods, which can influence cholesterol balance.

While there are other things that you can do to manage your cholesterol levels, there isn't a lot that you can do to manage your adrenaline and cortisol besides learning how to manage stress. 

Dietary changes

As mentioned above, a healthy diet plays a significant role in cholesterol levels and overall heart health. Remember, the way that you eat may change due to cravings that you feel because of the hormones released during the stress response. However, this isn't the only link between stress and cholesterol when it comes to diet.

Having anxiety may not change your schedule too much but having chronic stress because of a hectic job or other factors can leave you short on time. This can make you more likely to have poor eating habits, including filling your diet with fast food and processed foods. These foods are often high in calories and unhealthy fats, which can throw off your cholesterol balance.

It can be hard to find time to cook for yourself, but cooking large batches and freezing or refrigerating most of it for future on-the-go meals can help you save time and stay healthy. The practice is called "meal prepping," and a quick Internet search can help you locate recipes and advice for getting started.

If you do end up looking for a quick bite, consider healthier drive-through options like sandwiches and salads instead of burgers and fries. Switching to juice, tea, or water instead of soda can make a big difference as well.

Engage in physical activity

Chronic stress from things like a hectic job can limit the amount of time that you have for doing things like working out. While this may not be the case when it comes to chronic stress from mental health conditions, the stress response itself can leave you feeling too tired to exercise.

Still, exercise can help you increase blood flow and feel less stressed, as well as mitigate some of the dangers of chronic stress by lowering your cardiovascular disease risk and reducing high blood pressure. 

If you've left an exercise routine behind because of time restraints, remember that there are small things that you can do to increase your activity like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little farther away from the store, or walking across the office instead of making calls or sending emails. It’s not necessary to do anything too strenuous to make a big difference. A short walk every day can have many benefits, including preventing diabetes and lowering your cardiovascular risk. 

Seeking help for chronic stress

Help for chronic stress is available. However, some people experiencing this type of stress may have a hard time finding the time or energy to make an in-person appointment with a counselor. Online therapy can make it easier for stressed individuals to prioritize their mental health. 

This type of treatment is research-backed as well. In fact, a recent study showed that even short stints of mental health counseling can have a positive effect on individuals experiencing chronic stress. Thus, it may not be necessary to disrupt your schedule in order to make positive mental health gains.