Dr. López Rosetti tells us why we get bad blood.
- Negative emotions and chronic stress generate biochemical changes that affect cardiovascular health.
- Prolonged stress increases inflammatory substances such as cortisol, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein in the blood.
- Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology shows that the body essentially reacts to emotional conflicts.
The essential: Chronic stress not only affects the mental state but also the physical state, especially cardiovascular health. The increase in inflammatory substances triggers serious health problems, from insomnia and digestive disorders to heart attacks and strokes. The concept of “bad blood,” which is often used colloquially, has scientific foundation: Sustained emotional tensions harm blood quality and, therefore, general health.
The immune balance is altered with constant stress, affecting general health (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Why it matters: findings in psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology link the stress with chronic illness.
- Subjectivity and how each person deals with stress determines the magnitude of the physical impact.
- Mental health and a positive outlook on life can prevent inflammatory damage.
The expression “don’t get bad blood” might seem like just family advice to avoid worry. However, research in the field of psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology (PNIE) show that this warning has a solid scientific basis. The body essentially reacts to emotional conflicts, since negative emotions and chronic stress produce inflammatory substances that circulate in the blood.
These biochemical changes can predispose to various diseases, from mild disorders such as insomnia or gastritis to serious conditions such as acute myocardial infarction and the cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
Sustained negative emotions can trigger levels of inflammatory substances such as cortisol (Illustrative Image Infobae)
This relationship between mind and body has become increasingly evident in a world where chronic stress and emotional tension are common. Science confirms that our emotional responses directly affect our immune and cardiovascular systems, and that the way we interpret reality plays a fundamental role in how stress impacts our body.
Recent studies show that prolonged stress triggers an increase in various substances in the blood, such as cortisol he fibrinogen and the C reactive protein . These elements are markers of inflammation in the body, and their excess is associated with the development of chronic diseases.
Furthermore, the tumor necrosis factor alpha and the interleucinas proinflamatorias They are some of the proteins that the body releases in response to stress and prolonged negative emotions. Although they are necessary in immune defense situations, their constant presence due to sustained stress can damage blood vessels, thus increasing the risk of heart disease and circulation problems.
Positive management of mental life could prevent health problems associated with inflammation (Illustrative Image Infobae)
The psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology is a discipline that studies how the mind (psycho), nervous system (neuro), immune system (immune) and hormonal system (endocrine) are interconnected and influence each other. Its main premise is that the mental state affects the body at various levels, and vice versa.
According to this discipline, stress and sustained negative emotions alter the immune balancewhich contributes to the appearance of chronic inflammation and health problems such as cardiovascular and digestive disorders and even some types of cancer.
For all this, it is important to maintain a positive perception of realitysince subjectivity influences how we react to stress.
Each person interprets and responds to external stimuli in a unique way, and this perception determines whether a situation becomes a source of stress.
* Dr. Daniel López Rosetti is a doctor (MN 62540) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). President of the Stress Section of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). And he is the author of books such as: “Emotion and feelings” (Ed. Planeta, 2017), “Equilibrio. How we think, how we feel, how we decide. User Manual.” (Ed. Planeta, 2019), among others.
