Toxic stress may be linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women younger than 55 years, but not in older women, according to recent study.
In the study, published in Preventive Medicine Reports, investigators analyzed self-reported data from 1,346 women in the Research Goes Red Registry, a U.S.-based online registry initiated in 2019. The investigators found that younger women with toxic stress had a 79% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03–3.11) compared with those without toxic stress, while no statistically significant association was observed in women aged 55 years and older (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.49–1.39).
The participants provided information on prior CVD diagnoses and toxic stress exposure, defined as prolonged life-defining stressors without sufficient social support. The investigators employed logistic regression models, adjusting for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors, including smoking, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and diabetes. Overall, 59% of the participants reported experiencing toxic stress, and 12% had CVD. A significant toxic stress-by-age interaction (P = .0412) confirmed the association between toxic stress and CVD in younger women but not in older women.
"When toxic stress is prolonged and excessive, this could lead to dysregulation of the physiologic stress response that could have negative health consequences. Previous research found that younger women with heart disease have greater inflammatory response to emotional stress and greater risk of mental stress myocardial ischemia," said lead study author Saam Honarvar, of the Department of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center–Houston.
The study's cross-sectional design prevented causal inferences, highlighting the need for future longitudinal studies to explore biological mechanisms and confirm causality. Additionally, reliance on self-reported data introduced the potential for recall bias, and the study's sample was predominantly non-Hispanic White (83%), limiting generalizability to more diverse populations.
Future research should explore age-related differences in stress adaptation and resilience mechanisms as well as potential stress mitigation interventions among younger women to inform preventive strategies.
No conflicts of interest were disclosed in the study.