How does stress-induced elevation of blood pressure during chronic psychological stress wind up causing cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in the United States and the developed world? Basically, your heart is just a dumb, simple mechanical pump, and your blood vessels are nothing more exciting than hoses. The cardiovascular stress-response essentially consists of making them work harder for a while, and if you do that on a regular basis, they will wear out, just like any pump or hose you’d buy at Sears. The first step in the road to stress-related disease is developing
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