Stress Risk Factors: Who is at risk for chronic stress or stress related diseases?

Who is at risk for chronic stress or stress related diseases?

General Factors that Increase Susceptibility

At some point in their lives virtually everyone will experience stressful events or situations that overwhelm their natural coping mechanisms. In one poll, 89% of respondents indicated that they had experienced serious stress in their lives. Many factors influence susceptibility to stress.

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Definition
Acute or Chronic Stress
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Negative effects
Risk Factors
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Conditions that Influence the Effects of Stress. People respond to stress differently depending on different factors:

• Early nurturing. (Abusive behavior towards children may cause long-term abnormalities in the hypothalamus-pituitary system, which regulates stress.)
  
• Personality traits. Certain people have personality traits that cause them to over-respond to stressful events.
  
• Genetic factors. Some people have genetic factors that affect stress, such as having more or less efficient relaxation response. One 2001 study found a genetic abnormality in serotonin regulation that was associated with a heightened reactivity of the heart rates and blood pressure in response to stress. (Serotonin is a brain chemical involved with feelings of well being.)
  
• Immune Regulated Diseases. Certain diseases that are associated with immune abnormalities (such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or ) may actual impair a response to stress.