Can working with idiots kill you? "Working with idiots can kill you!" That's the provocative headline of a news article a friend sent me this week. It details a study conducted by researchers at the Lindbergh University Medical Center in Sweden. The research team examined medical data on 500 heart attack patients and found that 62 percent were mostly free of the typical heart attack risk factors. The lead author of the study - Dr. Dagmar Andersson - explained that when these low-risk patients were questioned about lifestyle details, one similar thread emerged: Almost all of them reported that they worked with "people so stupid they can barely find their way from the parking lot to their office." "You can cut back on smoking or improve your diet," Dr. Andersson says, "but most people have very poor coping skills when it comes to stupidity - they feel there's nothing they can do about it, so they just internalize their frustration until they finally explode." Dr. Andersson's observation underlines the importance of addressing chronic stress. But the fact is…there's no such place as the Lindbergh University Medical Center - not in Sweden, not in Timbucktoo…nowhere. And there's no Dr. Andersson. (The name is apparently taken from a character in an adult film made in Sweden.) This amusing hoax is pretty convincing. The article my friend sent me looks for all the world like a copy of an authentic clipping from a newspaper. But the fact that there was no dateline or reference to a news agency tipped me off that someone was having us on. But no matter what the source of your stress may be - I.Q.-deprived co-workers, home life, finances - when anxieties and tensions run high for a long period of time, it's no hoax that your brain and heart may suffer. Earlier this year, researchers with the Laboratory of Human Stress Research at McGill University reported on a study that examined the effects of cortisol, a hormone known as a "stress hormone." (And I can confirm that McGill University actually DOES have a Laboratory of Human Stress Research - in Canada, not Sweden.) After conducting memory tests on both young and old subjects over a period of three to six years, the McGill team found that long-term stress creates high levels of cortisol that may impair learning ability in young people while weakening memory among the elderly. Older subjects who had high cortisol levels were also found to have a smaller hippocampus (the area of the brain where memory is processed) compared to older subjects who did not experience prolonged stress. In the e-Alert "Research Reveals the Most Effective Action you can take to Prevent a Heart Attack" (2/14/02), I told you about another stress study from the Duke University Medical Center in which a cohort of men with coronary artery disease were divided into two groups. One group participated in a stress management program. Over a five-year period this group reported significantly fewer cardiac events than men who received no instruction or support in coping with stress. If you feel you need some assistance in reducing your stress levels (and most of us probably do) you can check with local health institutions in your community. The Duke University Medical Center, for instance, has established the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine, offering consultation services and educational programs designed to promote optimum health through the integration of the health of the body with the health of the mind. What can you do to take control of stress right now? Three key habits can be an enormous help in controlling stress: maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet, getting the right amount of sleep, and sticking with a regular exercise program. It's also important to recognize the things that trigger your stress. You might take a moment to sit down and make a list of the stress factors in your life. Another step that many find helpful is to talk about your stress with someone you trust. This is where a local health institution may be able to offer guidance. Certain nutrients may also assist in managing stress. Studies have shown that a high intake of dietary vitamin C and beta carotene can help reduce the effects of stress overload. Another option that we first told HSI members about several years ago is called the Freeze Frame program. Created by the HeartMath Research Center (heartmath.org), Freeze Frame is a five-step relaxation technique that teaches pupils to remove themselves from disruptive, stressful emotions. Pupils learn how to gain control of their autonomic nervous system, which in turn allows them to control their heartbeat. Research has confirmed Freeze Frame's effectiveness. A study of 32 hypertension patients found that after three months of using the Freeze Frame system, the patients were able to achieve twice the reductions in blood pressure as normally seen with low-salt diets and exercise therapy. Sources:
"Stress Hormones and Human Memory Function Across the Lifespan" Psychoneuroendocrinology, Vol. 30, No. 3, April 2005, sciencedirect.com
"Chronic Stress Affects One's Brain" United Press International, 5/18/05, sciencedaily.com | 
