New Research Linked to Heart Disease
New research confirms what many have long suspected: psychological stress can cause heart disease. The two studies published the week of Oct. 8 - 12, 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the Archives of Internal Medicine shed new light on how emotional health affects heart health.
The studies, reported Oct. 9, 2007 on www.time.com in an article titled "How Stress Harms the Heart", strengthen the link between stress and disease. And, show how chronic stressors - whether personal or professional - can become physical threats. Link to article
Studies gathering critical mass
"Researchers have long suspected that stress does the body harm, but bulletproof clinical evidence linking stress to heart attacks and other disease has been elusive - partly because stress is such a personal and variable thing," says the article. "Only recently have such studies started to gather critical mass, and researchers have begun calling on clinicians to include the diagnosis and treatment of stress in the routine care for patients with conditions like AIDS and heart disease."
Evidence more convincing
Every layman knows that stress is a cause of heart disease," says Dr. Kristina Orth-Gomer, who has been studying stress and cardiology for 25 years, and now works at Stockholm's Karolinksa Institute. She says however, that physicians have been slow to put that knowledge into practice. "Lately, that is beginning to change. The evidence is more convincing now," she says.
Mind and body part of same machine
The article points out that while people often cannot do a lot about the stress they face in life, what can be changed however is the way doctors listen to their patients' health concerns. "Traditional Western medicine has really endeavored to think of the body as a machine, and disease as how the machine breaks down," says Dr. Daniel Brotman, director of the Hospitalist Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital and author of a recent review paper on emotional stress and heart health. "Doctors can be reluctant to think of the mind and body as being part of that same machine."
Workplace Wellness courses offer a holistic approach to developing your employee's business skills in the area of Communication, Leadership, Creativity and more.
Applying the principles of energy, balance, and wellness to one's
personal as well as professional life is the key that unlocks the door
to health and prosperity. Workplace wellness programs are designed to
help professionals enhance relationships with co-workers and clients,
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Normandale will work with your organization to develop and deliver affordable training programs designed to meet the unique needs of your organization. Call 952-487-8343 for more information or to schedule a customized session at your company.
"We offer a variety of workplace wellness classes that will help you tap into your creative spirit to bring forth new insights and wisdom," says Sunny Ainley, director, Integrative Health/Wellness program, Normandale Community College. "By working authentically and purposefully, you'll gain more focus, influence and satisfaction in your career. You'll also learn to define and create the meaning of your work, rather than leaving it in the control of others."
Workplace wellness programs offered by Normandale Community College from January - May, 2009 include the following:
- Workplace Success: 7 - 9 p.m. May 21
- Pillars of Authentic Leadership: 7 - 9 p.m. April 23
- Authentic Communication: 6 - 9 p.m. February 26
Normandale's Continuing Education Department offers a diverse selection of stress reduction programs that connect the mind and body, offering numerous healthy benefits. Brownsing classes here
